title: Childhood leukemia in south-west Sardinia (Italy).
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Public concern on an increased incidence of childhood leukemia in SW Sardinia prompted the authors to an epidemiological investigation.
  
  
  METHODS
  Incident childhood neoplasms observed in the Cagliari province (Sardinia--Italy) in 1974-1989 were registered. Expected cases of the most frequent childhood cancers were calculated for each town, based on the sex-and age-specific incidence rates in the province.
  
  
  RESULTS
  An excess risk of childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) was observed in Carbonia, a town located in the SW part of the province. The risk was highest in 1983-85, when 7 cases occurred versus 0.8 expected (RR = 8.7; 95% C.I. = 4.6, 16.3). No spatial clustering of ALL cases was observed within the town.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  A significantly higher than expected incidence of childhood ALL was observed in the town of Carbonia in 1983-85. In alternative to chance, possible exposure to environmental pollutants from a near industrial settlement is discussed as the cause of the observed excess, but it is far to be proven. Other hypotheses, including a viral infection in a population with increased susceptibility, as suggested for new urban settlements, cannot be discarded.
authors.affiliation: Istituto di Medicina del Lavoro, Università di Cagliari, Italy.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Cocco
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Bernardinelli
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Biddau
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Montomoli
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Murgia
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rapallo
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Targhetta
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007558:Italy / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D054198:Precursor Cell Lymphoblastic Leukemia-Lymphoma / Q000453:epidemiology*; D013997:Time Factors