title: Adult cancers near high-voltage overhead power lines.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Extremely low-frequency magnetic fields are designated as possibly carcinogenic in humans, based on an epidemiologic association with childhood leukemia. Evidence for associations with adult cancers is weaker and inconsistent.
  
  
  METHODS
  We conducted a case-control study to investigate risks of adult cancers in relation to distance and extremely low-frequency magnetic fields from high-voltage overhead power lines using National Cancer Registry Data in England and Wales, 1974-2008. The study included 7823 leukemia, 6781 brain/central nervous system cancers, 9153 malignant melanoma, 29,202 female breast cancer cases, and 79,507 controls frequency-matched on year and region (three controls per case except for female breast cancer, one control per case) 15-74 years of age living within 1000 m of a high-voltage overhead power line.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There were no clear patterns of excess risk with distance from power lines. After adjustment for confounders (age, sex [except breast cancer], deprivation, rurality), for distances closest to the power lines (0-49 m) compared with distances 600-1000 m, odds ratios (ORs) ranged from 0.82 (95% confidence interval = 0.61-1.11; 66 cases) for malignant melanoma to 1.22 (0.88-1.69) for brain/central nervous system cancer. We observed no meaningful excess risks and no trends of risk with magnetic field strength for the four cancers examined. In adjusted analyses at the highest estimated field strength, ≥1000 nanotesla (nT), compared with <100 nT, ORs ranged from 0.68 (0.39-1.17) for malignant melanoma to 1.08 (0.77-1.51) for female breast cancer.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our results do not support an epidemiologic association of adult cancers with residential magnetic fields in proximity to high-voltage overhead power lines.
authors: Small Area Health Statistics Unit, MRC-HPA Centre for Environment and Health, School of Public Health, Imperial College London, St. Mary's Campus, London, United Kingdom. p.elliott@imperial.ac.uk
authors: Paul
authors: P
authors: Elliott
authors: Gavin
authors: G
authors: Shaddick
authors: Margaret
authors: M
authors: Douglass
authors: Kees
authors: K
authors: de Hoogh
authors: David J
authors: DJ
authors: Briggs
authors: Mireille B
authors: MB
authors: Toledano
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D004574:Electromagnetic Fields / Q000009:adverse effects*; D004739:England / Q000453:epidemiology; D004781:Environmental Exposure / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology*; D016017:Odds Ratio; D012042:Registries; D012111:Residence Characteristics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D014852:Wales / Q000453:epidemiology