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Space–time clustering in childhood nervous system tumors in the Region of Murcia, Spain, 1998–2009

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Abstract

Aims

The aims of this study are the following: first, to analyze incidence, trends, and survival of nervous system tumors in children under the age of 15 in the Region of Murcia, Spain, during the years 1998–2009 and second, to evaluate if certain environmental exposures may be involved in the etiology of childhood nervous system tumors. The study was performed on the spatial and temporo-spatial distribution of the observed cases.

Methods

The Environment and Pediatric Cancer in the Region of Murcia is an ongoing research project aimed at carefully collecting pediatric environmental history (PEH) and to use geographical information systems to map the incidence and to analyze the geographical distribution of pediatric cancer incidence in our region. Between 1998 and 2009, 125 patients were diagnosed with nervous system tumors. The spatial and temporal space clusters were evaluated using Kulldorff's statistics. Address at diagnosis was the main feature evaluated.

Results

The incidence (cases/million children) for central nervous system (CNS) tumors was 34.2, that for sympathetic nervous system tumors was 10.9, and that for retinoblastoma was 1.9. There was evidence of space clustering for medulloblastoma and space–time clustering for all tumors, CNS tumors, astrocytoma, and neuroblastoma.

Conclusions

The incidence and survival for each type and subtype of nervous system tumors were within the reported values for the European region. There is evidence that spatial and spatial–temporal distribution in these cases is not random. The development of a careful PEH in these patients will help to reinforce geographical information system studies and to ascertain the importance of associated risk factors.

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Acknowledgments

The authors express their gratitude for the support and funding granted by the Fundación para la Formación e Investigación Sanitarias de la Región de Murcia (FFIS) FFIS/EMER09/15 and the Scientific Foundation of the Asociación Española Contra el Cáncer (AECC) (MACAPE-04). Thanks to the project ECO2009-10534/ECON del Ministerio de Ciencia y Tecnología de España and to the project 11897/PHCS/09 de la Fundación Séneca–Agencia de Ciencia y Tecnología de la Región de Murcia. Additionally, we thank Isaedmarie Fevo and Elías Najul from the Mount Sinai International Exchange Program for Minority Students, whose work is supported by grant MD001452 from the National Center on Minority Health and Health Disparities of the National Institutes of Health, and María Martínez from the Technical University of Cartagena.

Conflicts of interest

The authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Pediatric Environmental Health Specialty Unit, Translational Cancer Research Center, Virgen de la Arrixaca University Hospital, 30120, El Palmar, Murcia, Spain

    Juan A. Ortega-García

  2. Department of Quantitative Methods and Computing, Technical University of Cartagena, Cartagena, Spain

    Fernando A. López-Hernández

  3. Section of Pediatric Hematology-Oncology, Virgen de la Arrixaca University Hospital, 30120, El Palmar, Murcia, Spain

    José L. Fuster-Soler

  4. Regional Service of Neurosurgery, Grupo de Investigación en Neurocirugía (GRIN), Virgen de la Arrixaca University Hospital, 30120, El Palmar, Murcia, Spain

    Juan F. Martínez-Lage

Authors
  1. Juan A. Ortega-García
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  2. Fernando A. López-Hernández
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  3. José L. Fuster-Soler
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  4. Juan F. Martínez-Lage
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Correspondence to Juan A. Ortega-García.

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Ortega-García, J.A., López-Hernández, F.A., Fuster-Soler, J.L. et al. Space–time clustering in childhood nervous system tumors in the Region of Murcia, Spain, 1998–2009. Childs Nerv Syst 27, 1903–1911 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00381-011-1483-0

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