Acute Leukemia and Residential Proximity to Potential Sources of Environmental Pollutants

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Abstract
Possible associations between location of residence and acute leukemia risk were investigated in a study of 610 newly diagnosed patients, aged 18–79 y, and 618 population controls. There was an association between ever living within 5 miles (8 km) of an industrial plant and leukemia risk, with adjusted odds ratios (ORs) of 1.4 (95% confidence interval [95% Cl] = 1.0–1.9) for all acute leukemias combined, 1.4 (95% Cl = 1.0–2.0) for acute myeloid leukemia, and 1.7 (95% Cl = 1.0–2.7) for acute lymphocytic leukemia. Odds ratios increased with decreasing distance from industrial sites, but a gradient with duration of residence was seen only among those less than age 60 who had lived within a mile of any industry. Suggestive associations were also observed for residence near specific industries, but the number of individuals living near any one industry was small.