Spatial clustering of childhood leukaemia: summary results from the EUROCLUS project.

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Serval ID
serval:BIB_7036
Type
Article: article from journal or magazin.
Collection
Publications
Institution
Title
Spatial clustering of childhood leukaemia: summary results from the EUROCLUS project.
Journal
British Journal of Cancer
Author(s)
Alexander F.E., Boyle P., Carli P.M., Coebergh J.W., Draper G.J., Ekbom A., Levi F., McKinney P.A., McWhirter W., Michaelis J., Peris-Bonet R., Petridou E., Pompe-Kirn V., Plìsko I., Pukkala E., Rahu M., Storm H., Terracini B., Vatten L., Wray N.
ISSN
0007-0920
Publication state
Published
Issued date
1998
Volume
77
Number
5
Pages
818-824
Language
english
Abstract
The interpretation of reports of clusters of childhood leukaemia is difficult, first because little is known about the causes of the disease, and second because there is insufficient information on whether cases show a generalized tendency to cluster geographically. The EUROCLUS project is a European collaborative study whose primary objective is to determine whether the residence locations of cases at diagnosis show a general tendency towards spatial clustering. The second objective is to interpret any patterns observed and, in particular, to see if clustering can be explained in terms of either infectious agents or environmental hazards as aetiological agents. The spatial distribution of 13351 cases of childhood leukaemia diagnosed in 17 countries between 1980 and 1989 has been analysed using the Potthoff-Whittinghill method. The overall results show statistically significant evidence of clustering of total childhood leukaemia within small census areas (P=0.03) but the magnitude of the clustering is small (extra-Poisson component of variance (%) = 1.7 with 90% confidence interval 0.2-3.1). The clustering is most marked in areas that have intermediate population density (150-499 persons km[-2]). It cannot be attributed to any specific age group at diagnosis or cell type and involves spatial aggregation of cases of different ages and cell types. The results indicate that intense clusters are a rare phenomenon that merit careful investigation, although aetiological insights are more likely to come from investigation of large numbers of cases. We present a method for detecting clustering that is simple and readily available to cancer registries and similar groups.
Keywords
Adolescent, Age Factors, Child, Child, Preschool, Cluster Analysis, Environmental Exposure, Europe/epidemiology, Humans, Incidence, Infant, Infant, Newborn, Infection/complications, Leukemia/classification, Leukemia/epidemiology, Precursor Cell Lymphoblastic Leukemia-Lymphoma/epidemiology, Precursor Cell Lymphoblastic Leukemia-Lymphoma/etiology, Risk, Rural Population, Urban Population
Pubmed
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19/11/2007 12:44
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20/08/2019 14:28
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