title: [Environment and paediatric cancer in the Region of Murcia (Spain): integrating clinical and environmental history in a geographic information system].
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Environment and Paediatric Cancer (PC) in the Region of Murcia (RM) is an on-going research project that has the following aims: to collect a careful paediatric environmental history (PEH) and to use geographical information systems (GIS) to map the incidence and analyze the geographic distribution of the PC incidence in the RM. The objectives are to present the methodology used for the collection and processing of data and disseminate initial results on the spatial and temporal incidence of PC in the RM (Spain).
  
  
  METHODS
  A descriptive and georeference study of all PC cases under 15 years, diagnosed from 1 January 1998 to December 31, 2009. Three postal addresses were assigned to each case, residence during pregnancy, postnatal, and at the time of diagnosis. Other variables such as sex, date of birth, date of diagnosis, and histopathology classification were collected.
  
  
  RESULTS
  No increase was observed in the trend of incidence of PC. The crude annual incidence rate was 14.3 cases per 100,000 children under 15 years. The standardised incidence ratio was higher in the north-west of the RM. Before diagnosis, 30% of cases had a different postal address than during the pregnancy.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Integrating the spatial and temporal information through the PEH in a GIS should allow the identification and study of space-time clusters through an environmental monitoring system in order to know the importance of associated risk factors.
authors.affiliation: Unidad de Salud Medioambiental Pediátrica, Servicio de Pediatría, Unidad de Investigación Traslacional en Cáncer, Hospital Universitario Virgen de la Arrixaca, Murcia, España. ortega@pehsu.org
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Ortega-García
authors.forename: F A
authors.initials: FA
authors.lastname: López-Hernández
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Sobrino-Najul
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Febo
authors.forename: J L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Fuster-Soler
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004777:Environment; D005260:Female; D040362:Geographic Information Systems; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology*; D013030:Spain / Q000453:epidemiology