Contributors: Swiss Paediatric Oncology Group; Swiss National Cohort Study Group; Angst, R.; Paulussen, M.; Kuehne, T.; Brazzola, P.; Hirt, A.; Leibundgut, K.; Ozsahin, AH.; Beck Popovic, M.; von der Weid NX.; Nobile Buetti, L.; Rischewski, J.; Caflisch, U.; Greiner, J.; Hengartner, H.; Grotzer, M.; Niggli, F.; Gutzwiller, F.; Bopp, M.; Faeh, D.; Egger, M.; Clough-Gorr, K.; Schmidlin, K.; Spoerri, A.; Sturdy, M.; Zwahlen, M.; Künzli, N.; Paccaud, F.; Oris, M.; University of Zurich; Kuehni, C E
نبذة مختصرة : BACKGROUND: Previous studies on childhood cancer and nuclear power plants (NPPs) produced conflicting results. We used a cohort approach to examine whether residence near NPPs was associated with leukaemia or any childhood cancer in Switzerland. METHODS: We computed person-years at risk for children aged 0-15 years born in Switzerland from 1985 to 2009, based on the Swiss censuses 1990 and 2000 and identified cancer cases from the Swiss Childhood Cancer Registry. We geo-coded place of residence at birth and calculated incidence rate ratios (IRRs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) comparing the risk of cancer in children born 15 km away, using Poisson regression models. RESULTS: We included 2925 children diagnosed with cancer during 21 117 524 person-years of follow-up; 953 (32.6%) had leukaemia. Eight and 12 children diagnosed with leukaemia at ages 0-4 and 0-15 years, and 18 and 31 children diagnosed with any cancer were born 15 km away, the IRRs (95% CI) for leukaemia in 0-4 and 0-15 year olds were 1.20 (0.60-2.41) and 1.05 (0.60-1.86), respectively. For any cancer, corresponding IRRs were 0.97 (0.61-1.54) and 0.89 (0.63-1.27). There was no evidence of a dose-response relationship with distance (P > 0.30). Results were similar for residence at diagnosis and at birth, and when adjusted for potential confounders. Results from sensitivity analyses were consistent with main results. CONCLUSIONS: This nationwide cohort study found little evidence of an association between residence near NPPs and the risk of leukaemia or any childhood cancer.
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