Abstract
In the United Kingdom Childhood Cancer Study, a population-based case–control study covering the whole of England, Scotland and Wales, measured power-frequency magnetic fields were not found to be associated with risk for any malignancy. To examine further the risk associated with residential proximity to electricity supply equipment, distances to high-voltage lines, underground cables, substations and distribution circuits were collected for 3380 cases and 3390 controls. Magnetic field exposure from this equipment was calculated using distance, load and other circuit information. There was no evidence that either proximity to electrical installations or the magnetic field levels they produce in the UK is associated with increased risk of childhood leukaemia or any other cancer. Odds ratios of 0.73 (95% CI = 0.42–1.26) for acute lymphoblastic leukaemia, 0.75 (95% CI = 0.45–1.25) for all leukaemias, 1.08 (95% CI = 0.56–2.09) for central nervous system cancers and 0.92 (95% CI = 0.64–1.34) for all malignancies were obtained for residence within 50 m of an overhead line. When individuals with a calculated magnetic field exposure ≥ 0.2 μT were compared to those in a reference category of exposure <0.1 μT, odds ratios of 0.51 (95% CI = 0.11–2.33) for acute lymphoblastic leukaemia, 0.41 (95% CI = 0.09–1.87) for total leukaemia, 0.48 (95% CI =0.06–3.76) for central nervous system cancers and 0.62 (95% CI = 0.24–1.61) for all malignancies were obtained. © 2000 Cancer Research Campaign http://www.bjcancer.com http://www.bjcancer.com
Similar content being viewed by others
Article PDF
Change history
16 November 2011
This paper was modified 12 months after initial publication to switch to Creative Commons licence terms, as noted at publication
References
Ahlbom A, Day N, Feychting M, Roman E, Skinner J, Dockerty J, Linet M, McBride M, Michaelis J, Olsen JH, Tynes T and Verkasalo PK (2000) A pooled analysis of magnetic fields and childhood leukaemia. Br J Cancer 83(5): 692–698
Coleman MP, Bell CMJ, Taylor H-L and Primic-Zakelj M (1989) Leukaemia and residence near electricity transmission equipment: a case–control study. Br J Cancer 60: 793–798
Fews AP, Henshaw DL, Wilding RJ and Keitch PA (1999) Corona ions from powerlines and increased exposure to pollutant aerosols. Int J Radiat Biol 75(12): 1523–1531
Feychting M and Ahlbom A (1993) Magnetic fields and cancer in children residing near Swedish high-voltage power lines. Am J Epidemiol 138(7): 467–481
Feychting M, Kaune WT, Savitz DA and Ahlbom A (1996) Estimating exposure in studies of residential magnetic fields and cancer: Importance of short-term variability, time interval between diagnosis and measurement, and distance to power line. Epidemiol 7(3): 220–224
Kleinerman RA, Kaune WT, Hatch EE, Wacholder S, Linet MS, Robison LL, Shelley N and Tarone RE (2000) Are children living near high-voltage power lines at increased risk of acute lymphoblastic leukemia?. Am J Epidemiol 151(5): 512–515
Linet MS, Hatch EE, Kleinerman RA, Robison LL, Kaune WT, Friedman DR, Severson RK, Haines CM, Hartstock CT, Niwa S, Wacholder S and Tarone RE (1997) Residential exposure to magnetic fields and acute lymphoblastic leukemia in children. New Engl J Med 337(1): 1–7
NIEHS (1999) Health effects from exposure to power-line frequency electric and magnetic fields. NIH publication no. 99–4493, NIH: North Carolina
Olsen JH, Nielson A and Schulgen G (1993) Residence near high voltage facilities and risk of cancer in children. BMJ 307: 891–895
Petridou E, Trichopoulos D, Kravaritis A, Pourtsidis A, Dessypris N, Skalkidis Y, Kogevinas M, Kalmanti M, Koliouskas D, Kosmidis H, Panagiotou JP, Piperopoulou F, Tzortzatou F and Kalapothaki V (1997) Electrical power lines and childhood leukemia: a study from Greece. Int J Cancer 63: 345–348
Tomenius L (1986) 50-Hz electromagnetic environment and the incidence of childhood tumors in Stockholm county. Bioelectromagnetics 7: 191–207
Tynes T and Haldorsen T (1997) Electromagnetic fields and cancer in children residing near Norwegian high-voltage power lines. Am J Epidemiol 145(3): 219–226
UK Childhood Cancer Study Investigators (1999) Exposure to power-frequency magnetic fields and the risk of childhood cancer. Lancet 354: 1925–1931
UK Childhood Cancer Study Investigators (2000) The United Kingdom Childhood Cancer Study: objectives, materials and methods. Br J Cancer 82(5): 1073–1102
Verkasalo PK, Pukkala E, Hongisto MY, Valjus JE, Järvinen PJ, Heikkilä KV and Koskenvuo M (1993) Risk of cancer in Finnish children living close to power lines. BMJ 307(9): 895–899
Wertheimer N and Leeper E (1979) Electrical wiring configurations and childhood cancer. Am J Epidemiol 109(3): 273–283
Wertheimer N and Leeper E (1982) Adult cancer related to electrical wires near the home. Int J Epidemiol 11: 345–355
Author information
Consortia
Rights and permissions
From twelve months after its original publication, this work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-Share Alike 3.0 Unported License. To view a copy of this license, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/
About this article
Cite this article
U.K. Childhood Cancer Study Investigators. Childhood cancer and residential proximity to power lines. Br J Cancer 83, 1573–1580 (2000). https://doi.org/10.1054/bjoc.2000.1550
Received:
Revised:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1054/bjoc.2000.1550
Keywords
This article is cited by
-
Proximity to overhead power lines and childhood leukaemia: an international pooled analysis
British Journal of Cancer (2018)
-
Residential distance at birth from overhead high-voltage powerlines: childhood cancer risk in Britain 1962–2008
British Journal of Cancer (2014)
-
Distance from residence to power line and risk of childhood leukemia: a population-based case–control study in Denmark
Cancer Causes & Control (2014)
-
Population level assessments of immunization-when more complex is better
Indian Pediatrics (2012)
-
Childhood cancer and magnetic fields from high-voltage power lines in England and Wales: a case–control study
British Journal of Cancer (2010)