Study type: Epidemiological study (observational study)

Risk of neuroblastoma, maternal characteristics and perinatal exposures: The SETIL study epidem.

Published in: Cancer Epidemiol 2014; 38 (6): 686-694

Aim of study (acc. to author)

A case-control study was conducted in Italy to investigate the association between childhood neuroblastoma and exposure to extremely low frequency magnetic fields as well as other risk factors.

Further details

The results for childhood leukemia of this study population are published in Salvan et al. (2015).

Endpoint/type of risk estimation

Type of risk estimation: (odds ratio (OR))

Exposure

Assessment

Exposure groups

Group Description
Reference group 1 magnetic flux density in child's bedroom, arithmetic mean: < 0.1 µT
Group 2 magnetic flux density in child's bedroom, arithmetic mean: 0.1 - 0.2 µT
Group 3 magnetic flux density in child's bedroom, arithmetic mean: ≥ 0.2 µT
Reference group 4 magnetic flux density in child's bedroom, geometric mean: < 0.1 - 0.2 µT
Group 5 magnetic flux density in child's bedroom, geometric mean: 0.1 - 0.2 µT
Group 6 magnetic flux density in child's bedroom, geometric mean: ≥ 0.2 µT
Reference group 7 magnetic flux density in child's bedroom, 90th percentile: < 0.1 µT
Group 8 magnetic flux density in child's bedroom, 90th percentile: 0.1 - 0.2 µT
Group 9 magnetic flux density in child's bedroom, 90th percentile: ≥ 0.2 µT
Reference group 10 magnetic flux density in child's bedroom, 95th percentile: < 0.1 µT
Group 11 magnetic flux density in child's bedroom,95th percentile: 0.1 - 0.2 µT
Group 12 magnetic flux density in child's bedroom, 95th percentile: ≥ 0.2 µT

Population

Case group

Control group

Study size

Cases Controls
Eligible 207 1,475
Evaluable 153 1,044
Statistical analysis method: (adjustment: )

Results (acc. to author)

The large majority of children belonged to the lowest exposure category; magnetic field strength of > 0.3 µT (arithmetic mean) was measured only in 2 cases and 19 controls.
No association was observed between childhood neuroblastoma and exposure to extremely low frequency magnetic fields.
The authors conclude that the findings do not support a major role of exposure to extremely low frequency magnetic fields for neuroblastoma occurrence in children.

Study funded by

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