Multistate Case-Control Study of Childhood Brain Cancer

摘要

The role of environmental chemicals in the etiology of childhood brain cancer is not clearly understood. Because brain cancer in children has become a major concern in communities near hazardous waste sites, the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) conducted this population-based case-control study to examine the association between the risk for childhood brain cancer and residence near National Priorities List (NPL) sites. Cases were identified from the statewide cancer registries according to the following criteria: first primary cancer of the brain, excluding lymphomas, diagnosed in children younger than 10 years of age during 1993-1997 in Florida, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and New York (excluding New York City). Controls were selected by random digit dialing by individually matching to case children on race, sex, birth year (within 1 year), and state of residence at diagnosis. A total of 526 case-control sets were included in the first phase of the study that conducted computer-assisted telephone interviews with the biological mothers. The mothers provided the residential histories and other exposure information for the 2-year period before the child's birth for the parents and for the period from birth to 1 year before the reference (diagnosis) year for the children. The potential residential exposure to chemicals released from NPL sites were assessed by five criteria: (1) ever lived within a 1-mile radius of an NPL site$ (2) ever lived within a 1-mile radius of an NPL site with a completed exposure pathway$ (3) ever lived within a 1-mile radius of an NPL site contaminated with certain chemicals with a completed exposure pathway$ (4) the total number of NPL sites within a 1-mile radius of residences$ and (5) a duration-distance index. Maximum likelihood estimates of odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated.