Epidemiologic Evaluation of Childhood Leukemia and Paternal Exposure to Ionizing Radiation.

摘要

This study is designed to determine whether preconception gonadal doses from ionizing radiation are higher in the parents of children with leukemia than in parents of healthy children. This hypothesis is based on previous study findings that, compared with control groups, children with leukemia were more likely to have fathers who worked at the Sellafield nuclear facility in Great Britain and to have received higher doses of ionizing radiation prior to the conception of the child. This is conducted as a case-control study. Cases will be children with leukemia and controls will be children without leukemia selected at random from the same population as the cases. In addition, the next older sibling will be used in a second control group. The main exposure of interest, paternal and maternal gonadal absorbed doses from ionizing radiation during the six-month time period before conception, will be quantified by taking detailed histories from the parents about medical, occupational, and environmental exposures that they had during the time period of interest. Gonadal doses will be estimated from the documentation of each exposure. By calculating the doses of ionizing radiation each parent received, we can compute odds ratios and confidence intervals for paternal and maternal doses separately and combined. These findings will clarify whether the previously determined risks can be detected in other populations with similar exposures. Consistency in the results of this study with those of the study in Great Britain would have a major impact on current medical practice and occupational exposure standards. If this study does not detect an elevated risk for leukemia, it will be unlikely that preconception gonadal doses from ionizing radiation that are received by the general public are related to childhood leukemia.