Childhood leukaemia risk and residential proximity to busy roads

Abstract Background Current evidence suggests that childhood leukaemia can be associated with residential traffic exposure; nevertheless, more results are needed to support this conclusion. Objectives To ascertain the possible effects of residential proximity to road traffic on childhood leukaemia, taking into account traffic density, road proximity and the type of leukaemia (acute lymphoid leukaemia or acute myeloid leukaemia). Methods We conducted a population-based case-control study of childhood leukaemia in Spain, covering the period 1990–2011. It included 1061 incidence cases gathered from the Spanish National Childhood Cancer Registry and those Autonomous Regions with 100% coverage, and 6447 controls, individually matched by year of birth, sex and autonomous region of residence. Distances were computed from the respective participant's residential locations to the different types of roads and four different buffers. Using logistic regression, odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (95%CIs), were calculated for four different categories of distance to roads. Results Cases of childhood leukaemia had more than three-fold increased odds of living at Conclusions Our study agrees with the literature and furnishes some evidence that living near a busy motorway could be a risk factor for childhood leukaemia.