Epidemiological study (observational study)

Childhood leukemia and magnetic fields in Japan: a case-control study of childhood leukemia and residential power-frequency magnetic fields in Japan epidem.

By: Kabuto M, Nitta H, Yamamoto S, Yamaguchi N, Akiba S, Honda Y, Hagihara J, Isaka K, Saito T, Ojima T, Nakamura Y, Mizoue T, Ito S, Eboshida A, Yamazaki S, Sokejima S, Kurokawa Y, Kubo O

Published in: Int J Cancer 2006; 119 (3): 643-650

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Aim of study (acc. to author)

To investigate whether there is an association between childhood leukemia and residential magnetic fields a case-control study was conducted in Japan.

Endpoint/type of risk estimation

childhood leukemia: acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) and acute myelocytic leukemia (AML)

Type of risk estimation:

incidence

(odds ratio (OR))

Exposure

Assessment

measurement: 1-week-long continuous measurement at 30-sec intervals in the child's bedroom and 5-min-long spot measurement at several points inside and outside the house

Exposure groups

Group	Description
Reference group 1	bedroom magnetic field level: below 0.1 μT
Group 2	bedroom magnetic field level: 0.1-0.2 μT
Group 3	bedroom magnetic field level: 0.2-0.4 μT
Group 4	bedroom magnetic field level: above 0.4 μT

Population

Group:
- children
Age: 0–15 years
Observation period: 1999-2001
Study location: Japan (Tokyo, Nagoya, Kyoto, Osaka and Kitakyushu metropolitan areas)

Case group

Characteristics: acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) and acute myelocytic leukemia (AML), verified by morphologic, immunologic, cytogenic and molecular genetic tests
Data source: 5 major children's cancer study groups
Exclusion criteria: children with conditions known to increase the risk for leukemia

Control group

Selection:
- population-based
Matching:
- sex
- age
- area
- population size of the municipality D:Größ
- case:control = 1:2

Study size

	Cases	Controls
Eligible	781	-
Participants	381	1,097
Participation rate	49 %	29 %
Evaluable	312	603

Other:

251 cases with ALL, 61 with AML

Statistical analysis method:

conditional logistic regression

Results (acc. to author)

Only 6 out of 312 cases and 5 out of 603 controls were exposed to more than 0.4 μ magnetic field. An increased risk for acute lymphoblastic leukemia and acute myelocytic leukemia was found for children whose bedrooms had magnetic fields of 0.4 μT or more. Further bias evaluation reviealed no substantial difference in the results.

Limitations (acc. to author)

The authors considered the results were not due to bias alone, although these may be due to chance.

Study funded by

Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, Japan

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