Study type:
Epidemiological study
(observational study)
A pooled analysis of magnetic fields and childhood leukaemia
epidem.
By:
Ahlbom A, Day N, Feychting M, Roman E, Skinner J, Dockerty J, Linet M, McBride M, Michaelis J, Olsen J, Tynes T, Verkasalo PK
Published in: Br J Cancer 2000; 83 (5): 692-698
Aim of study (acc. to author)
The association between exposure to 50-60 Hz magnetic fields and childhood leukaemia was investigated. For this purpose a pooled analysis was conducted based on primary data from nine studies carried out in Canada (McBride et al.), Denmark (Olsen et al.), Finland (Verkasalo et al.), Germany (Michaelis et al. ), New Zealand (Dockerty et al.), Norway (Tynes et al.), Sweden (Feychting et al.), USA (Linet et al.), and UK (UK Childhood Cancer Study Investigators).
Second, it was analysed whether the adjustment for the confounders socioeconomic status, mobility, level of urbanization, detached/not-detached dwelling, and level of traffic exhaust change the results.
Third, the so-called wire-code paradox (a stronger association between proxy measures of magnetic field and cancer than between direct measurements and cancer) was investigated on the combined data.
Further details
All recent studies were included in which the exposure was assessed by 24 hour or 48 hour magnetic field measurements or calculated fields. For each case (correspondingly for the controls) the average exposure during the last year prior diagnosis was calculated based on the primary data to achieve data being as consistent as possible across the studies.
Endpoint/type of risk estimation
Type of risk estimation:
(relative risk (RR))
Exposure
Assessment
- wire code: Wertheimer-Leeper scheme, only used for North American studies
- measurement: 24/48 hour measurements
- calculation: based upon distance between residence and nearby power line, line characteristics and load of line
Exposure groups
|
Group
|
Description
|
|
Group 1
|
geometric mean of the measured magnetic fields: < 0.1 µT
|
|
Group 2
|
geometric mean of the measured magnetic fields: 0.1 - 0.2 µT
|
|
Group 3
|
geometric mean of the measured magnetic fields: 0.2 - 0.4 µT
|
|
Group 4
|
geometric mean of the measured magnetic fields: ≥ 0.4 µT
|
|
Group 5
|
calculated magnetic fields: < 0.1 µT
|
|
Group 6
|
calculated magnetic fields: 0.1 - 0.2 µT
|
|
Group 7
|
calculated magnetic fields: 0.2 - 0.4 µT
|
|
Group 8
|
calculated magnetic fields: ≥ 0.4 µT
|
|
Group 9
|
measured and calculated magnetic fields: < 0.1 µT
|
|
Group 10
|
measured and calculated magnetic fields: 0.1 - 0.2 µT
|
|
Group 11
|
measured and calculated magnetic fields: 0.2 - 0.4 µT
|
|
Group 12
|
measured and calculated magnetic fields: ≥ 0.4 µT
|
|
Reference group 13
|
Wertheimer-Leeper configuration: underground + very low
|
|
Group 14
|
Wertheimer-Leeper configuration: ordinary low
|
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Group 15
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Wertheimer-Leeper configuration: ordinary high
|
|
Group 16
|
Wertheimer-Leeper configuration: very high
|
Population
-
Group:
-
Age:
0–14 years
-
Characteristics:
leukaemia; in the US part only acute lymphatic leukaemia
-
Observation period:
different for each country
-
Study location:
Canada, Denmark, Finland, Germany, New Zealand, Norway, Sweden, USA, UK
Study size
Statistical analysis method:
(
adjustment:
)
Results (acc. to author)
Study funded by
-
European Union (EU)/European Commission
-
Swedish Medical Research Council (SMRC), Sweden
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