Environmental Risk Factors for Acute Leukemia and Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma in Children

Abstract Objective The incidence of childhood cancer has been increasing nearly one percent per year for the past two decades. Leukemia and lymphoma are the most common types of childhood cancers. This study assessed the relation between environmental factors (Hydrocarbon, agricultural toxin, insecticide) and leukemia/lymphoma in children, which was evaluated by the frequency of the parents’ hazardous occupations, and their smoking, drug addiction, and alcoholism habits. Methods This was a case-control study on 86 children with leukemia and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma and 188 healthy controls from March 2007 till March 2010. They were matched in age and sex. Information was gathered via a questionnaire and analyzed by SPSS 15. Result There were 32 (37.2%) girls and 54 (62.8%) boys in the case group and the majority were 3-5 years old. In case group fathers’ occupations were mostly farmers 50 (58.1%), followed by painter or exposed to hydrocarbons 14 (16.6%), but in the control group, farmers were 17 (19.7%), and painters or those exposed to hydrocarbons were 5 (5.8%). The frequency of fathers' various occupations was significantly different between cases and controls. In addition, smoking, drug addiction and alcoholism was significantly higher in cases fathers than controls fathers. Conclusion The frequency of leukemia and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma in children whose father were painters, exposed to hydrocarbons and farmers are higher than normal children. So people with these occupations should pay more attention and should be protected against these risk factors. The history of addiction and alcoholism was higher in their father.