Evidence of spatial clustering of childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia cases in Greater Mexico City: report from the Mexican Inter-Institutional Group for the identification of the causes of childhood leukemia

Authors: Duarte-Rodríguez DA, Flores-Lujano J, McNally RJQ, Pérez-Saldivar ML, Jiménez-Hernández E, Martín-Trejo JA, Espinoza-Hernández LE, Medina-Sanson A, Paredes-Aguilera R, Merino-Pasaye LE, Velázquez-Aviña MM, Torres-Nava JR, Espinosa-Elizondo RM, Amador-Sánchez R, Dosta-Herrera JJ, Mondragón-García JA, González-Ulibarri JE, Martínez-Silva SI, Espinoza-Anrubio G, Paz-Bribiesca MM, Salcedo-Lozada P, Landa-García RÁ, Ramírez-Colorado R, Hernández-Mora L, Santamaría-Ascencio M, López-Loyola A, Godoy-Esquivel AH, García-López LR, Anguiano-Ávalos AI, Mora-Rico K, Castañeda-Echevarría A, Rodríguez-Jiménez R, Cibrian-Cruz JA, Solís-Labastida KA, Cárdenas-Cardos R, López-Santiago N, Flores-Villegas LV, Peñaloza-González JG, González-Ávila AI, Sánchez-Ruiz M, Rivera-Luna R, Rodríguez-Villalobos LR, Hernández-Pérez F, Olvera-Durán JÁ, García-Cortés LR, Mata-Rocha M, Sepúlveda-Robles OA, Bekker-Méndez VC, Jiménez-Morales S, Meléndez-Zajgla J, Rosas-Vargas H, Vega E, Núñez-Enríquez JC, Mejía-Aranguré JM

Year: 2024 Feb 14

Category: Oncology

Journal: Front Oncol

Institution: Mexican Inter-Institutional Group for the Identification of the Causes of Childhood Leukemia

DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2024.1304633

URL: https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/oncology/articles/10.3389/fonc.2024.1304633/full

Abstract

Overview

The study examines the geographic distribution of childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) cases in Greater Mexico City, highlighting spatial clustering and possible environmental causes.

Background

Heterogeneous geographic distribution of ALL noted.
Study aimed at exploring spatial distribution and potential environmental links in Greater Mexico City.

Methods

Population-based case-control setup.
Children <18 diagnosed with ALL included; controls from public hospitals, matched by age, sex, and institution.
Geolocation used based on last known addresses before diagnosis or interview.
Kulldorff's spatial scan statistic used for detecting spatial clusters (SCs).

Results

1,054 ALL cases analyzed, 408 found in 8 notable SCs.
Main cluster showed a relative risk of 1.61 (p<0.0001).
Noticeable proximity of SCs to electrical installations and petrochemical facilities.

Conclusions

This study's findings regarding SCs supports the hypothesis that environmental factors, possibly including electromagnetic fields from nearby electrical installations, contribute to the prevalence of childhood ALL in specific regions of Greater Mexico City.

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