[Epidemiologic surveillance of childhood leukemia in Hungary over the past 21 years (1980-2000)].
BACKGROUND
Investigation of trends in incidence rates of childhood malignancies, especially leukaemia and thyroid cancers, is essential for the objective assessment of health consequences of the nuclear power plant accident in Ukraine in 1986.


OBJECTIVE
This paper reports the results of the epidemiological surveillance of childhood leukaemia in Hungary from 1980 to 2000, according to the database of the Hungarian Paediatric Cancer Registry.


METHODS
All childhood leukaemia cases diagnosed between the period of 1 January 1980 and 31 December 2000, age of 0-14, throughout Hungary have been recorded. The registration was done by the ten Paediatric Oncology Centres in Hungary. The total number of diagnosed and analysed cases was 1563.


RESULTS
The incidence rate of childhood leukaemia showed a gradual, slow but significant increase of 1.2% per year over the observed period of time. There was neither any additional increase in the incidence following the accident, nor an increase in the cumulative incidence among the children born around the date of the accident. The accident did not cause a change regarding the infant leukaemia incidence in Hungary either. Apparent change in the geographical distribution of childhood leukaemia, which could be the result of the accident, was not detectable.


CONCLUSIONS
The authors did not detect any change in the incidence of childhood leukaemia over the past 21 years in Hungary, which can be attributed to the nuclear power plant accident in Ukraine in 1986.
Török
Szabolcs
S
Altalános Orvostudományi Kar, II. Sz. Gyermekgyógyászati Klinika, Semmelweis Egyetem, Budapest.
Borgulya
Gábor
G
Jakab
Zsuzsanna
Z
Schuler
Dezsö
D
Fekete
György
G
D000293:Adolescent; D002173:Cancer Care Facilities; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006814:Hungary / Q000453:epidemiology; D015994:Incidence; D007223:Infant; D007938:Leukemia / Q000453:epidemiology*; D007953:Leukemia, Radiation-Induced / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology; D008297:Male; D018788:Radioactive Hazard Release; D012042:Registries; D014455:Ukraine