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Cross‐space‐time clustering of childhood cancer in Great Britain: Evidence for a common aetiology
Author(s) -
McNally Richard J.Q.,
Stiller Charles,
Vincent Tim J.,
Murphy Michael F.G.
Publication year - 2013
Publication title -
international journal of cancer
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.475
H-Index - 234
eISSN - 1097-0215
pISSN - 0020-7136
DOI - 10.1002/ijc.28332
Subject(s) - medicine , etiology , cluster analysis , cross sectional study , cancer , pediatrics , pathology , machine learning , computer science
Previously, we identified space‐time clustering in certain childhood cancers. This study aimed to determine whether there was cross‐space‐time clustering between different diagnostic groups. A total of 32,295 cases were diagnosed during 1969–1993. Cross‐space‐time clustering was analyzed by a second‐order procedure based on Diggle's method. Locations were birth and diagnosis addresses. The following space‐time combinations were examined: address and date of birth; address at birth and date of diagnosis; address and date of diagnosis. Cross‐space‐time clustering analyses considered clustering pairs of cases from two different diagnostic groups. Formal statistical significance was taken as p < 0.00067 and marginal significance 0.01 > p ≥ 0.00067. Based on address at birth and date of diagnosis, there was statistically significant cross‐clustering between cases of HL and intracranial and intraspinal embryonal tumors (IIET), both aged 0–14 years ( p < 0.0001). Based on address and date of birth, there was marginally significant cross‐clustering between cases of lymphoid leukemia (LL) aged 5‐14 years and Hodgkin lymphoma (HL) aged 0–14 years ( p = 0.0019). Based on address and date of diagnosis there was marginally significant cross‐clustering between cases of LL aged 1–4 years and soft tissue sarcoma (STS) aged 0–14 years ( p = 0.0041). Findings from this study are consistent with possible common aetiological factors between different diagnostic groups. They suggest a common aetiology for the following pairs of diagnostic groups: HL and IIET; older cases of LL and HL; younger cases of LL and STS. The possibility of common infectious mechanisms should be explored.