Risk of leukemia in residences near a radio transmitter in Italy.

Michelozzi P, Ancona C, Fusco D, Forastiere F, Perucci CA

Epidemiology 9 (Suppl) 354p, 1998

We conducted a small area study to investigate a cluster of leukemia near a high power radio-transmitter in a peripheral area of Rome. The leukemia mortality within 3.5 km (5,863 inhabitants) was higher than expected (SMR=2.5, 95% confident interval 1.07-4.83); the excess was due to a significant higher mortality among men (7 cases observed, SMR=3.5).

The results of the Stone's test, after adjusting for socio-economic confounding, showed a significant decline in risk with distance from the transmitter only among men (p=0.005), whereas the p-value for both sexes was p=0.07.