Grant: Project Grant

The etiology of pediatric cancer is poorly understood. This is an important knowledge gap because pediatric cancer is the second leading cause of death among Canadian children and responsible for 11.5 million years of life lost worldwide each year. A better understanding of modifiable risk factors is necessary to address the public health burden of childhood cancer. Air pollution may play a role in childhood cancer and initiate the pathogenesis in utero. However, epidemiological evidence remains scarce. Very few studies have used a cohort design and statistical power has been limited due to rarity of the disease. Studies have mostly focused on traffic pollution in urban settings, and relied on suboptimal exposure assessment methods. In addition, air pollution from industries and gasoline stations is understudied even though these sources emit known carcinogens. This proposal builds on unique and refined air pollution exposure data and population-based birth cohorts from the two largest Canadian provinces (Ontario and Quebec). We will conduct statistical analyses to determine whether the risk of pediatric cancer is associated with prenatal exposure to (i) ambient air pollutants, (ii) industrial emissions and, (iii) residential proximity to gasoline stations. For ambient pollutants, we will also investigate if there are critical windows of exposure during pregnancy when the fetus is at greater risk of the adverse effects of air pollution. Our multidisciplinary team include experts in pediatrics, cancer and environmental epidemiology, public health, exposure modeling and biostatistics who have the knowledge and expertise to successfully carry out the work. Our research will contribute novel insights about the role of air pollution in pediatric cancer. Findings will serve public health professionals and regulatory authorities in Canada who lack evidence on which to base recommendations for acceptable levels of air pollution to adequately protect children's health.