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 An Investigation into
Childhood Leukaemia in Northampton
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Introduction
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 This report has been written
specifically for the families of children who have had leukaemia in Northamptonshire.
It gives the Health Authority's answers to the questions and worries that
they raised at a meeting we had on 22nd September 1995. The report will
also be circulated to other people who have been concerned by this problem
and will, therefore, include some background information as well. The report
thus has several different purposes:
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to give a brief summary of what is known about leukaemia and its causes
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to explain the implications of having five cases of childhood leukaemia
in a small area over a number of years
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to let people know what Northamptonshire Health Authority has done in response
to their concerns
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to explain why a local epidemiological study of these cases could not tell
us what caused leukaemia in the affected children
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to reassure residents in the Pembroke Road area that we have found no reason
to be concerned that their children are at an increased risk of developing
leukaemia
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to give information to the families about the current scientific evidence
on the relationship between several potential environmental hazards they
have identified and childhood leukaemia
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to let people know that the important questions about what causes leukaemia
in children are being addressed in several important and well-designed
scientific studies.
We hope that this report can be
understood by people who are not familiar with medical jargon. Sometimes
it has been necessary to use medical and technical terms, so at the back
of this report there is a glossary which gives the meaning of any medical
terms used. |
© Northamptonshire Health Authority, reproduced by kind permission
of Dr Amanda Burls, Sen Reg in Public Health Medicine.
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