Case-control study of leukaemia among young people near La Hague nuclear reprocessing plant: the environmental hypothesis revisited.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the association between childhood leukaemia and established risk factors or other factors related to La Hague nuclear waste reprocessing plant.


METHODS
Case-control study.


METHODS
Area within a 35 km radius of La Hague, Normandy, France.


METHODS
Twenty seven cases of leukaemia diagnosed during the period 1978-93 in people aged under 25 years and 192 controls matched for sex, age, place of birth, and residence at time of diagnosis.


METHODS
Antenatal and postnatal exposure to x rays and viral infections, occupational exposure of parents (particularly ionising radiation), living conditions, lifestyle of parents and children.


RESULTS
Increased trends were found for use of local beaches by mothers and children (P < or = 0.01); relative risks 2.87 (95% confidence intervals 1.05 to 8.72) and 4.49 (1.52 to 15.23) when categories were aggregated in two levels (more or less than once a month). Consumption of local fish and shellfish also showed an increased trend (P 0.01); relative risk 2.66 (0.91 to 9.51) when categories were grouped in two levels (more or less than once a week). A relative risk of 1.18 a year (1.03 to 1.42) was observed for length of residence in a granite-built house or in a granitic area. No association was shown with occupational radiation exposure in parents.


CONCLUSIONS
There is some convincing evidence in childhood leukaemia of a causal role for environmental radiation exposure from recreational activities on beaches. New methods for identifying the environmental pathways, focusing on marine ecosystems, are warranted.
Pobel
D
D
Faculty of Medicine, Department of Public Health, Biostatistics, Besancon, France.
Viel
J F
JF
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004032:Diet; D004781:Environmental Exposure; D005260:Female; D006798:Housing; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D015464:Leukemia, Myelogenous, Chronic, BCR-ABL Positive / Q000453:epidemiology; D007951:Leukemia, Myeloid / Q000453:epidemiology*; D008019:Life Style; D008297:Male; D018811:Maternal Exposure; D018812:Paternal Exposure; D054198:Precursor Cell Lymphoblastic Leukemia-Lymphoma / Q000453:epidemiology*; D011829:Radiation Dosage; D011850:Radioactive Waste; D012307:Risk Factors; D014777:Virus Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology
D011850:Radioactive Waste