CHILDHOOD MALIGNANCIES IN THE SOUTH-WEST REGION OF ENGLAND, 1976-1985

The incidence and pattern of childhood cancer in the South-West Region of the United Kingdom was studied in the period 1976-1985 to see if t here was any unevenness in distribution. This region consists of five counties with considerable variation in radon exposure and urbanisatio n. Cases were identified from multiple sources and the basis of the di agnosis reviewed. Internationally accepted diagnostic categories were used. Six hundred seventy-eight cases were found, giving an age standa rdised incidence rate of 114.2 per million childhood years. The incide nce of different cancers by sex was strikingly similar to the Manchest er Children's Tumour Registry, from a noncontiguous region, with three exceptions. In the South-West, there was a higher rate of soft tissue sarcoma in boys (P = 0.01) and lower rates of sympathetic nervous sys tem and germ-cell tumours in girls (P = 0.01 and P = 0.04, respectivel y). There was no significant variation in cancer incidence among the f ive counties or with time. The incidence rate in counties of high rado n exposure was not higher than with low radon exposure. The overall in cidence in counties with urban districts was not significantly increas ed compared to those without, although there was a nonsignificant tren d towards a higher incidence of leukaemia (P = 0.08). The incidence an d type of childhood cancer are similar to those in a noncontiguous reg ion. Geographical and temporal incidence are remarkably stable. Local environmental variation may not play a major role in the causality of childhood cancer. (C) 1994 Wiley-Liss, Inc.