Denis Henshaw's Column

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Clustering of Childhood Leukaemia and Childhood Cancer in Great Britain - Response to the COMARE 11^th Report

I welcome the COMARE 11^th Report confirming that the incidence of childhood leukaemia and other childhood cancers in Great Britain shows clustering in a non-random way. This clustering gives us an insight into possible causes of childhood leukaemia and cancer, in particular, given that it is acknowledged that leukaemia incidence in children is increasing at around 1 per cent per year in both the UK and Europe, suggesting that environmental or lifestyle factors may be responsible.

The statement in the Report that the non-random distributions of childhood cancer could be due to various distributions of carcinogenic risk factors are welcomed. However, the lack of specific mention of some of the factors widely reported in the research literature as being linked to childhood leukaemia and childhood cancer is disappointing. For example, three major studies published by Professor George Knox of Birmingham University strongly indicate that petro-chemical pollution, especially from motor vehicle exhausts, is a major risk factor. Specific links have been found with heavy transport centres, railways, oil installations and major roads. A twelve-fold increase in risk of cancer was found in children living within 0.5 km of bus stations.

Last year the largest ever study of childhood leukaemia in relation to proximity to high-voltage power lines was published by Dr Gerald Draper and colleagues at the University of Oxford. This study reported increased risk of leukaemia in children living not only relatively close to power lines (within 200 metres) but also at distances up to 600 metres away.

I agree that the COMARE database will be a very powerful asset in examining the causes of childhood leukaemia and other childhood cancers. I congratulate the Committee on producing this Report and hope that the database will be widely available as a tool for further investigations.