ID Number		184
Study Type		Epidemiology
Model		30-300 MHz (VHF) FM and TV broadcast tower exposure to residents of Sutton Coldfield and elsewhere in the UK and correlation with cancer
Details		Human subjects were analyzed for an association between leukemia & lymphoma, brain, skin and eye melanoma, breast, lung, colorectal, stomach, prostate, and bladder cancer (cases from 1974-1988) and proximity (residential postcode) to a radio and TV transmitter (broadcasting in 4 VHF frequency bands, 1 having a 1 Mega watt and the other 3 have 250 kW of effective radiated power) in Sutton Coldfield, West Midlands, England. An initial study in response to a report of a local leukemia & lymphoma cluster (Am J Epidemiology (1997) 145:1-9) involving the Sutton Coldfield tower (n = 480,000) reported a 3% excess in all cancers taken together at 0-10 km from the transmitter (OR = 1.03), although there was no decreasing risk with distance. There was also a larger increase in overall adult leukemia, some leukemia subtypes, and lymphoma within a 10 km circle. The leukemia showed a decreasing trend with distance, although the lymphoma did not. There was a statistically significant decrease in risk of skin melanoma and bladder cancer with distance, but there was no excess risk for these cancers within 1 km of the transmitter. The authors concluded from this first study that their was an excess of leukemia near the Sutton Coldfield transmitter. In a follow-up study involving 20 radio and TV transmitters throughout Great Britain (study population = 3.39 million) (Am J Epidemiology (1997) 145:10-17) expanded to include cancer incidence from 1974 – 1986, however, there was no confirmation of an increase in adult leukemia or leukemia subtypes. A decreasing trend in adult leukemia with distance from the transmitters (data from around all transmitters combined) was marginally significant, and certain individual transmitters showed marked decreases (p<0.05) with distance. The authors concluded that there is limited and inconsistent evidence from these studies for a change in tumor incidence with distance from the transmitters - the pattern and magnitude of risk associated with living near the Sutton Coldfield transmitter was not replicated around the other 20 transmitters. In 3 subsequent comments by Cooper & Saunders, Cherry, and Dolk on these studies (Am J Epidemiology (2001) 153:202-204), investigators continue to debate over the interpretation and relevance of the leukemia findings.
Findings		No Effects
Status		Completed With Publication
Principal Investigator		Dept of Public Health & Policy, UK
Funding Agency		DOH, UK
Country		UNITED KINGDOM
References		Dolk, H et al. Am. J. Epidemiol., (1997) 145:1-9 Dolk, H et al. Epidemiology, (1997) 145:10-17 Cooper, DK et al. Am. J. Epidemiology, (2001) 153:202-206 Lawrence, DW American journal of epidemiology., (1997) 146:682-683
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