Chemical risk factors and childhood leukaemia: a review of recent studies.
The search for chemical risks factors as determinants of childhood leukaemia has been ongoing for over two decades. Results of epidemiological studies, published from 1998 to the present, evaluating parental smoking, outdoor sources of pollution, indoor contaminants and chemicals from drinking water are reported. Overall, results were mostly negative. This may be due to the relatively small study sizes to detect environmental effects, usually measured imprecisely. Another reason may be that such effects, which may be revealed among the genetically susceptible, have rarely accounted for genetic susceptibility. The few studies that have are also reported here. Suggestions are made for work in the immediate future, which include pooling of data and of analyses, as well as carrying out in-depth reviews of studies with the goal of understanding the reasons for discrepant results.
Infante-Rivard
Claire
C
Department of Epidemiology, Biostatistics, and Occupational Health, Faculty of Medicine, McGill University, 1110 Pine Avenue West, Montréal, Province of Québec, Canada H3A 1A3. claire.infante-rivard@mcgill.ca
D002648:Child; D004784:Environmental Monitoring / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D004785:Environmental Pollutants / Q000032:analysis*; D016021:Epidemiologic Studies; D062665:Epidemiological Monitoring; D015386:Hazardous Substances / Q000032:analysis*; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007938:Leukemia / Q000453:epidemiology*; D018570:Risk Assessment / Q000379:methods; D012307:Risk Factors; D055815:Young Adult
D004785:Environmental Pollutants; D015386:Hazardous Substances