CANCER IN A YOUNG-POPULATION IN A DIOXIN-CONTAMINATED AREA

An industrial accident in Seveso, Italy, in 1976, caused contamination of the residential community with 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD). We investigated cancer occurrence in the first post-accident decade (1977-1986) among nearly 20000 subjects aged 0-19 years. People who left the area were actively followed with a 99% follow-up rate. F or reported cancer cases confirmation was obtained through consultatio n with original medical records. Two ovarian cancers were observed ver sus none expected. A suggestive increase was seen for Hodgkin's lympho ma (relative risk [RR] = 2.0; 95% confidence interval [Cl] = 0.5-7.6). Myeloid leukaemia showed a clear, but not statistically significant i ncrease (RR = 2.7; 95% CI = 0.7-11.4). The most prominent result conce rned thyroid cancer, not just for the magnitude of the increase (two c ases, RR = 4.6; 95% CI = 0.6-32.7), but also for its consistency with experimental findings and previous observations in humans. Any conclus ive interpretation would be premature because of the short time since initial exposure, ecological definition of exposure status, and limite d number of events.