Epidemiological study of power lines and childhood cancer in the UK: further analyses

Journal article

We report further analyses from an epidemiological study of childhood cancer and residence at birth near high-voltage power lines in the UK. These results suggest that the elevated risks for childhood leukaemia that we previously found for overhead power lines may be higher for older age at diagnosis and for myeloid rather than lymphoid leukaemia. There are differences across regions of birth but not forming any obvious pattern. Our results suggest the decline in risk we previously reported from the 1960s to the 2000s is linked to calendar year of birth or of cancer occurrence rather than the age of the power lines concerned. Finally, we update our previous analysis of magnetic fields to include later subjects.

Authors: Bunch, K; Swanson, J; Vincent, T; Murphy, M

• Publication status: Published
• Peer review status: Peer reviewed
• Publisher: Institute of Physics
• Journal: Journal of Radiological Protection
• Volume: 36
• Issue: 3
• Pages: 437-455
• Publication date: 2016-06-27
• Acceptance date: 2016-05-31
• DOI: 10.1088/0952-4746/36/3/437
• EISSN: 1361-6498
• ISSN: 0952-4746
• Pmid: 27356108
• Language: English
• Keywords: child; humans; England; child, preschool; risk factors; neoplasms, radiation-induced; leukemia, radiation-induced; electromagnetic fields; environmental exposure; adolescent; residence characteristics; infant; infant, newborn