Leukaemia incidence near coastal features.
BACKGROUND
The aim of the study was to independently test the hypothesis that leukaemia incidence is higher in proximity to estuaries.


METHODS
Electoral wards were classified as to whether they included estuarine, coastal or only inland features. Rates of different adult and childhood leukaemias were computed for each ward category; that is, acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL), acute myeloid leukaemia (AML), chronic myeloid leukaemia (CML) aged 0-79 and for all childhood leukaemias combined (aged 0-14).


RESULTS
Poisson regression analysis controlling for the effects of sex, age, and socioeconomic and urban-rural status, showed no statistically significant differences in incidence between wards with different levels of estuarine classification.


CONCLUSIONS
The hypothesis created from an earlier dataset that a link exists between leukaemia and residence near estuaries is not upheld.
Lloyd
F
F
York District General Hospital, York Y031 8HE.
Gilman
E A
EA
Law
G R
GR
Cartwright
R A
RA
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004739:England / Q000453:epidemiology; D004781:Environmental Exposure / Q000009:adverse effects*; D005260:Female; D005843:Geography; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007951:Leukemia, Myeloid / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016012:Poisson Distribution; D054198:Precursor Cell Lymphoblastic Leukemia-Lymphoma / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D012923:Social Class; D014852:Wales / Q000453:epidemiology