Case-Control Study of Pesticides and Childhood Leukemia

NCT00342888 | Completed

• 2 other identifiers: 99990203002-C-N030
• Study Type: observational
• Target: 629
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

Childhood leukemia is the most common type of childhood cancer and its etiology is largely unknown. Most case-control studies of childhood leukemia have reported elevated risks among children whose parents were occupationally exposed to pesticides or who used pesticides in the home or garden. Investigators at the University of California at Berkeley (UCB) conducted a case-control study of childhood leukemia in 35 counties in the San Francisco Bay area and the agricultural Central Valley of California. A major focus of the UCB study is to evaluate whether household or occupational exposure to pesticides increases the risk of childhood leukemia. Our collaboration provided additional funding to collect carpet dust samples for the measurement of pesticides and other chemicals. For 470 participants, we attempted to collect carpet dust using a special high volume small surface sampler (HVS3) vacuum and by taking dust from participants vacuum cleaner. As of July 2006, dust samples will be collected only from participant's vacuum cleaner. Samples were collected at a home visit approximately 3-6 months after the first in-person interview. We will also provide support for mapping of the crops (i.e., determining crop field boundaries and crop species) within 1200 meters (3/4 mile) of residences so that the residential proximity to agricultural fields treated with pesticides can be determined. We will conduct the epidemiologic analysis of pesticide and other chemical levels in carpet dust and risk of childhood leukemia. We will also evaluate whether residential proximity to agricultural pesticide use is associated with risk of leukemia. Further, we will conduct an Exposure Pilot Study that will include a subset of the study population. Two components of the Pilot Study will evaluate how well a used vacuum bag and a window sill wipe predict pesticide and other chemical concentrations in carpet dust samples collected with the more complicated HVS3 vacuum method. The third component will compare pesticides detected in carpet dust with pesticides predicted by geographic proximity to agriculture.

Conditions

Leukemia

Keywords

Childhood Cancer; Pesticides; Polychlorinated Biphenyls; Organochlorines; Polybrominated Diphenyl Ethers; Natural History

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (2)

• odds ratios for exposures to environmental contaminants and other factors related to childhood leukemia.

  childhood leukemia

  Data analysis still ongoing

• factors associated with concentrations of chemicals including pesticides and persistent organochlorines in house dust samples

  concentrations of the chemicals

  Data analysis still ongoing

Study Arms (2)

Childhood Leukemia Cases

Cases were diagnosed at 9 hospitals in Northern California

Matched Controls

Controls were matched on age, gender and race/ethnicity from birth certificates in Northern California

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: Up to 8 Years
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: No
• Age Groups: Child (0-17)
• Sampling Method: Probability Sample

Study Population

Population-based study of childhood leukemia in 35 counties in northern and central California. Cases were diagnosed at 9 hospitals in these counties and controls were residents of California selected from California birth certificates and matched to cases by birth date, gender, race/ethnicity

You may qualify if:

• All cases and controls were selected from participants in the UCB case-control study who have completed the Tier I interview.
• Study population is limited to children.
• All races and ethnicities will be included in the study.
• Tier I:
• The cases eligible for participation in Tier I of the UCB study of all newly diagnosed cases of childhood leukemia 0-14 years old resident in 35 counties in San Francisco Bay Area and the Central Valley
• Tier II:
• Tier II participants will be selected from cases and controls that complete the Tier I interview. Cases (and their match controls), aged 0-7, diagnosed from December 1, 1999 through 2003, and who still reside at the home where they were living ate the diagnosis date, will be eligible for the Tier II interview.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• National Cancer Institute (NCI): lead

Study Sites (1)

University of California, Berkeley

Berkeley, California, 94720-0001, United States

Location

Related Publications (3)

• Metayer C, Colt JS, Buffler PA, Reed HD, Selvin S, Crouse V, Ward MH. Exposure to herbicides in house dust and risk of childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia. J Expo Sci Environ Epidemiol. 2013 Jul;23(4):363-70. doi: 10.1038/jes.2012.115. Epub 2013 Jan 16.

  PMID: 23321862 BACKGROUND

• Deziel NC, Rull RP, Colt JS, Reynolds P, Whitehead TP, Gunier RB, Month SR, Taggart DR, Buffler P, Ward MH, Metayer C. Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in residential dust and risk of childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Environ Res. 2014 Aug;133:388-95. doi: 10.1016/j.envres.2014.04.033. Epub 2014 Jun 17.

  PMID: 24948546 BACKGROUND

• Ward MH, Colt JS, Metayer C, Gunier RB, Lubin J, Crouse V, Nishioka MG, Reynolds P, Buffler PA. Residential exposure to polychlorinated biphenyls and organochlorine pesticides and risk of childhood leukemia. Environ Health Perspect. 2009 Jun;117(6):1007-13. doi: 10.1289/ehp.0900583. Epub 2009 Jan 27.

  PMID: 19590698 BACKGROUND

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Leukemia; Neoplasms

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Neoplasms by Histologic Type; Hematologic Diseases; Hemic and Lymphatic Diseases

Study Officials

• Rena R Jones, Ph.D.

  National Cancer Institute (NCI)

  PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Study Design

• Study Type: observational
• Observational Model: CASE CONTROL
• Time Perspective: RETROSPECTIVE
• Sponsor Type: NIH
• Responsible Party: SPONSOR

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: June 19, 2006
• First Posted: June 21, 2006
• Study Start: October 30, 2001
• Last Updated: April 29, 2026

Record last verified: 2025-11-10

Locations

US (1)