A 30,000 patient case study spanning over 24 years has observed that children in richer, rural areas are more prone to clusters of different cancers than their poorer, urban counterparts. The study estimates the cause to be living in 'too clean' an environment which does not allow the immune system enough exposure to build resilience.
The researchers found that children who lived in large, relatively isolated areas and were not sent to crèches showed greater instances of leukemia, bone tumors, soft tissue sarcomas. They also observed that these children were more likely to develop a cluster of cancers – a rare phenomenon in urban areas.
The scientists at COMARE – Committee on Medical Aspects of Radiation in the Environment herald this study to be the most significant one in this committee's 20 year presence. The development of cancer is generally looked upon as a dual factor interaction process; the child is usually already genetically prone to the cancer due to a family history or a gene mutation. This genetic possibility is then triggered off when exposed to an environment where the immune system is unable to combat the cancerous growth.
This UK based study also suggests that apart from rural children's less robust immune system, another growing trend might contribute to childhood cancers. Often, an influx of several urban people bring with them viruses which are passed on to rural people who have not developed the mechanism to combat them. Both these factors might be working together resulting in greater cases of rural rich children with cancer.
Statistics reveal that childhood cancer is steadily on the rise with 500 children below the age of 15 being diagnosed annually for leukemia and 100 more for liver and kidney tumors.
Interestingly, the Committee has claimed that unlike popularly believed, radiations from nuclear stations are not a major cause although these environmental factors make a small contribution. To end on a positive note however, the committee also points out that cure rates if childhood cancer are heartening – 80% of diagnosed children survive and recover.
