title: Case-control study on risk factors for leukaemia and brain tumours in children under 5 years in Germany.
abstract: In the context of a case control study on the cancer risk for children under five by distance to the nearest nuclear power plant, we collected information on other risk factors in a subset. We present the interview study as if it had been an independent study. Parents of 471 cases with Leukaemia, Lymphoma or CNS (Central Nervous System)-tumour from the German Childhood Cancer Registry, diagnosed at age under 5 in the years 1993-2003, and 1,457 matched controls were to be interviewed. For Leukaemia, 243 cases/604 controls, and for CNS 102 cases/246 controls participated, lymphoma cases were too few. Questions related to social status, ionizing radiation, pregnancy and birth, immune system, and selected toxins. The analysis is exploratory in nature; variables were selected by backward elimination. For leukaemia we found a significant protective effect of social contacts (OR=0.50, 95% CI [0.29;0.87]) and a risk for high birth weight (OR=1.96 95% CI [1.12;3.41] comparing >4,000 g to "normal"). We could not reproduce other associations reported in the literature such as a negative association with allergies. For CNS tumours we found a significant protective effect of social contacts (OR=0.30 95% CI [0.13;0.72]), of pesticides and herbicides (OR=0.39 95% CI [0.18;0.83]) and an increased risk for low birth weight (p=0.0232). This study on risk factors for childhood leukaemia and brain tumours is relatively small and exploratory. We could reproduce some major associations reported in the literature (leukaemia: social contacts and high birth weight) but not others. Some observations may be reporting artefacts or self selection artefacts.
authors.affiliation: Universitätsmedizin Mainz, Deutsches Kinderkrebsregister, Mainz, Germany. kinderkrebsregister@imbei.uni-mainz.de
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Spix
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Schulze-Rath
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Kaatsch
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Blettner
mesh_terms: D001724:Birth Weight; D001932:Brain Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D005858:Germany; D006540:Herbicides / Q000633:toxicity; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007938:Leukemia / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*; D007953:Leukemia, Radiation-Induced / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology; D008223:Lymphoma / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*; D008297:Male; D009381:Neoplasms, Radiation-Induced / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology; D055848:Nuclear Power Plants; D010575:Pesticides / Q000633:toxicity; D012307:Risk Factors; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors
chemical_list: D006540:Herbicides; D010575:Pesticides