Abstract
Objectives: The study was performed to validate exploratory results obtained in a former study on the incidence rates of childhood malignancies in the vicinity of German nuclear power plants and to evaluate the confirmatory results of this previous study.
Methods: Incidence rates near German nuclear installations were compared to rates in control regions based on the German Childhood Cancer Registry.
Results: No exploratory result could be reproduced. This is also true for children with acute leukemia younger than 5 years who were living within a 5 km radius of an installation: an observed relative risk (RR) of 1.39 was not significantly increased (95 percent confidence interval CI: 0.69-2.57). Former confirmatory results could be confirmed again. A pooled analysis of both studies based on 2390 cases resulted in RR of 0.99 for all malignancies (CI: 0.91-1.07) and of 1.00 for acute leukemias (CI: 0.87-1.16) (children younger than 15 years of age living within a 15km radius).
Conclusions: Results did not show significantly increased incidence rates for any subgroup with previously significant exploratory results. Therefore, it appears to be most likely that the previous results were just due to chance. Evaluating the previously confirmatory results with the combined data from the two study periods reassures that incidence rates are not increased in children younger than 15 years who are living within a 15 km radius, either for all malignancies or for acute leukemias. We conclude that at present, in Germany no further investigations of this kind are necessary.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Michaelis J, Keller B, Haaf G, Kaatsch P. Incidence of childhood malignancies in the vicinity of west German nuclear power plants. Cancer Causes Control 1992; 3: 255–63.
Kaatsch P, Haaf G, Michaelis J. Childhood malignancies in Germany — methods and results of a nationwide registry. Eur J Cancer 1995; 31A: 993–9.
Forman D, Cook-Mozaffari P, Darby S, et al. Cancer near nuclear installations. Nature 1987; 329: 499–505.
Cook-Mozaffari PJ, Darby SC, Doll R, et al. Geographical variation in mortality from leukaemia and other cancers in England and Wales in relation to proximity to nuclear installations, 1969-78 [erratum: Br J Cancer 1989; 60: 270] Br J Cancer 1989; 59: 476–85.
Breslow NE, Day NE. Statistical Methods in Cancer Research, volume II. IARC Scientific publications No. 82. Lyon: International Agency for Research on Cancer, 1987: 95.
Kaletsch U, Meinert R, Miesner A, Hoisl M, Kaatsch P, Michaelis J. Epidemiologische Studien zum Auftreten von Leukämieerkrankungen bei Kindern in Deutschland. Schriftenreihe Reaktorsicherheit und Strahlenschutz, Bundesministerium für Umwelt, Naturschutz und Reaktorsicherheit BMU-1997-489. Dossenheim: GFM, 1997.
Hoffmann W, Dieckmann H, Dieckmann H, Schmitz-Feuerhake I. A cluster of childhood leukemia near a nuclear reactor in northern Germany. Arch Environ Health 1997; 52: 275–80.
MacMahon B. Leukemia clusters around nuclear facilities in Britain. Cancer Causes Control 1992; 3: 283–8.
Report of the Independent Advisory Group. Investigation of the possible increased incidence of cancer in West Cumbria. Chairman: Sir Douglas Black. London: HM Stationery Office, 1984.
Beral V, Roman E, Bobrow M., eds. Childhood Cancer and Nuclear Installations. London: BMJ Publishing Group, 1993.
Draper GJ, Stiller CA, Cartwright RA, Craft AW, Vincent TJ. Cancer in Cumbria and in the vicinity of the Sellafield nuclear installation, 1963-90 [erratum: BMJ 1993; 306: 761] BMJ 1993; 306: 89–94.
McLaughlin JR, Clarke EA, Nishri ED, Anderson TW. Childhood leukemia in the vicinity of Canadian nuclear facilities. Cancer Causes Control 1993; 4: 51–8.
Iwasaki T, Nishizawa T, Murata M. Leukaemia and lymphoma mortality in the vincinity of nuclear power stations in Japan, 1973-1987. J Radiol Prot 1995; 15: 271–88.
Viel JF, Richardson S, Danel P, et al. Childhood leukemia incidence in the vicinity of La Hague nuclear-waste reprocessing facility (France). Cancer Causes Control 1993; 4: 341–3.
Viel JF, Pobel D, Carre A. Incidence of leukaemia in young people around the La Hague nuclear waste reprocessing plant: a sensitive analysis. Stat Med 1995; 14: 2459–72.
Pobel D, Viel JF. Case-control study of leukaemia among young people near La Hague nuclear reprocessing plant: the environmental hypothesis revisited. BMJ 1997; 314: 101–6.
Kaatsch P, Kaletsch U, Meinert R, et al. German case control study on childhood leukemia — basic considerations, methodology and summary of results. Klin Pädiatr 1998; 210: 185–91
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Additional information
Documentation at the University of Mainz, Germany
Documentation at the University of Mainz, Germany
Documentation at the University of Mainz, Germany.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Kaatsch, P., Kaletsch, U., Meinert, R. et al. An extended study on childhood malignancies in the vicinity of German nuclear power plants. Cancer Causes Control 9, 529–533 (1998). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1008883530341
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1008883530341