Radiat Prot Dosimetry. 2008;132(2):202-11. Epub 2008 Oct 16.

Exposure to electromagnetic fields and the risk of childhood leukaemia: a review.

Source

Institute of Cancer Epidemiology, Danish Cancer Society, Strandboulevarden 49, DK-2100 Copenhagen, Denmark. joachim@cancer.dk

Abstract

Extremely low-frequency magnetic fields have been classified as possibly carcinogenic to humans, mainly based on epidemiological studies consistently showing an association between long-term average exposures to magnetic fields above 0.3/0.4 microT and the risk of childhood leukaemia. No mechanism to explain this finding has been established and no support for a causal link emerged from experimental studies. Chance or bias cannot be ruled out with reasonable confidence as an explanation for the observed association. If the association is causal, it explains only a small fraction of childhood leukaemia cases. There were some reports of childhood leukaemia clusters in the vicinity of high-power radio and television broadcast transmitters in studies in Australia and Italy. However, recent large-scale systematic studies in Korea and Germany show no association between exposure to radio frequency electromagnetic fields emitted from broadcast towers and childhood leukaemia risk. Studies on mobile phone use and leukaemia risk in adolescents and young adults may be indicated.

PMID:: 18927133; [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

Publication Types, MeSH Terms

Publication Types

Review

MeSH Terms

LinkOut - more resources

Full Text Sources

Other Literature Sources

Labome Researcher Resource - ExactAntigen/Labome

Medical

Electromagnetic Fields - MedlinePlus Health Information

Supplemental Content

Save items

Related citations in PubMed

Exposure assessment and other challenges in non-ionizing radiation studies of childhood leukaemia. [Radiat Prot Dosimetry. 2008]
Exposure assessment and other challenges in non-ionizing radiation studies of childhood leukaemia.
Kheifets L, Oksuzyan S. Radiat Prot Dosimetry. 2008; 132(2):139-47. Epub 2008 Oct 21.
Childhood leukaemia following medical diagnostic exposure to ionizing radiation in utero or after birth. [Radiat Prot Dosimetry. 2008]
Childhood leukaemia following medical diagnostic exposure to ionizing radiation in utero or after birth.
Wakeford R. Radiat Prot Dosimetry. 2008; 132(2):166-74. Epub 2008 Oct 15.
Review Indoor radon and childhood leukaemia. [Radiat Prot Dosimetry. 2008]
Review Indoor radon and childhood leukaemia.
Raaschou-Nielsen O. Radiat Prot Dosimetry. 2008; 132(2):175-81. Epub 2008 Nov 14.
Residential magnetic fields as a risk factor for childhood acute leukaemia: results from a German population-based case-control study. [Int J Cancer. 2001]
Residential magnetic fields as a risk factor for childhood acute leukaemia: results from a German population-based case-control study.
Schüz J, Grigat JP, Brinkmann K, Michaelis J. Int J Cancer. 2001 Mar 1; 91(5):728-35.
Review Epidemiological studies of leukaemia in children and young adults around nuclear facilities: a critical review. [Radiat Prot Dosimetry. 2008]
Review Epidemiological studies of leukaemia in children and young adults around nuclear facilities: a critical review.
Laurier D, Jacob S, Bernier MO, Leuraud K, Metz C, Samson E, Laloi P. Radiat Prot Dosimetry. 2008; 132(2):182-90. Epub 2008 Oct 15.

See reviews... See all...

Cited by 5 PubMed Central articles

Childhood cancer and nuclear power plants in Switzerland: a census-based cohort study. [Int J Epidemiol. 2011]
Childhood cancer and nuclear power plants in Switzerland: a census-based cohort study.
Spycher BD, Feller M, Zwahlen M, Röösli M, von der Weid NX, Hengartner H, Egger M, Kuehni CE, Swiss Paediatric Oncology Group, Swiss National Cohort Study Group. Int J Epidemiol. 2011 Oct; 40(5):1247-60. Epub 2011 Jul 12.
Pooled analysis of recent studies on magnetic fields and childhood leukaemia. [Br J Cancer. 2010]
Pooled analysis of recent studies on magnetic fields and childhood leukaemia.
Kheifets L, Ahlbom A, Crespi CM, Draper G, Hagihara J, Lowenthal RM, Mezei G, Oksuzyan S, Schüz J, Swanson J, et al. Br J Cancer. 2010 Sep 28; 103(7):1128-35.
Review A pooled analysis of extremely low-frequency magnetic fields and childhood brain tumors. [Am J Epidemiol. 2010]
Review A pooled analysis of extremely low-frequency magnetic fields and childhood brain tumors.
Kheifets L, Ahlbom A, Crespi CM, Feychting M, Johansen C, Monroe J, Murphy MF, Oksuzyan S, Preston-Martin S, Roman E, et al. Am J Epidemiol. 2010 Oct 1; 172(7):752-61. Epub 2010 Aug 9.

See all...

Related information

Related Citations
Calculated set of PubMed citations closely related to the selected article(s) retrieved using a word weight algorithm. Related articles are displayed in ranked order from most to least relevant, with the “linked from” citation displayed first.
Cited in PMC
Full-text articles in the PubMed Central Database that cite the current articles.

Recent activity

Clear Turn Off Turn On

Exposure to electromagnetic fields and the risk of childhood leukaemia: a review...
Exposure to electromagnetic fields and the risk of childhood leukaemia: a review.
Radiat Prot Dosimetry. 2008 ;132(2):202-11. Epub 2008 Oct 16 .

PubMed
IFIH1 polymorphisms are significantly associated with type 1 diabetes and IFIH1 ...
IFIH1 polymorphisms are significantly associated with type 1 diabetes and IFIH1 gene expression in peripheral blood mononuclear cells.
Hum Mol Genet. 2009 Jan 15 ;18(2):358-65. Epub 2008 Oct 16 .

PubMed
Inhibition of extracellular signal-regulated kinase signaling to prevent cardiom...
Inhibition of extracellular signal-regulated kinase signaling to prevent cardiomyopathy caused by mutation in the gene encoding A-type lamins.
Hum Mol Genet. 2009 Jan 15 ;18(2):241-7. Epub 2008 Oct 16 .

PubMed
Nutritional consequences of vegetarianism.
Nutritional consequences of vegetarianism.
Annu Rev Nutr. 1991 ;11:61-91.

PubMed
Human immunodeficiency virus type 1, human protein interaction database at NCBI.
Human immunodeficiency virus type 1, human protein interaction database at NCBI.
Nucleic Acids Res. 2009 Jan ;37(Database issue):D417-22. Epub 2008 Oct 15 .

PubMed

Your browsing activity is empty.

Activity recording is turned off.

Turn recording back on

PubMed

Result Filters

Display Settings:

Send to: