Residential distance at birth from overhead high-voltage powerlines: childhood cancer risk in Britain 1962-2008

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This case-control study investigated whether living close to high voltage power lines is associated with childhood cancer. The study compared the residential distance to high voltage power lines between 53,515 children diagnosed with cancer between 1962 and 2008 (the cases), and 66,204 matched controls. The risk for leukaemia when living within 200 m of a power line compared to living more than 1000 m away was higher in the 1960s (odds ratio, OR, 4.5, 95% confidence interval, CI, 0.97 – 20.83) compared to the 2000s (OR 0.71, 95% CI 0.49‑1.03). The authors conclude that the declining risk for childhood leukaemia over time is unlikely to arise from any physical effect of the power lines (such as exposure to electric and magnetic fields) and is more likely to be the result of changing population characteristics among those living near power lines.

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