Living close to highway ups leukamia risk

Living close to roads that are heavily used may increase the risk of getting leukemia (blood cancer) in children, according to a study.

It is possible that exposure to benzene related to traffic might be partly to blame.

The research considered 2760 cases of leukemia diagnosed in children under 15 years of age in France during the 2002-2007 period. The incidence of new cases of myeloblastic leukemia was 30% higher in children whose houses were located within 150 metres of heavily used roads.

Written by: Dr. Ajay Sati.