Most common childhood cancer 'partly caused by lack of infection' | Society | The Guardian

Clean modern homes, antiseptic wipes and the understandable desire to
protect small babies against any infection are all part of the cause of
the most common form of childhood cancer, a leading expert has
concluded after more than 30 years of research.


Childhood acute leukaemia, says the highly respected Prof Mel
Greaves, is nothing to do with power lines or nuclear fuel reprocessing
stations. Nor is it to do with hot dogs and hamburgers or the Vatican
radio mast, as have also been suggested. After the best part of a
century of speculation, some of it with little basis in science, Greaves
– who recently won the Royal Society’s prestigious Royal Medal – says
the cancer is caused by a combination of genetic mutations and a lack of
childhood infection.
The best news, says Greaves, is that the cancer is likely to be
preventable. And part of the answer could be to ensure children under
the age of one have social contact with others, possibly at daycare
centres.
Greaves, from the Institute of Cancer
Research in London, has compiled evidence from decades of work on acute
lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL), which affects one in 2,000 children. In
the 1950s and 1960s, it was lethal. Today, 90% of children are cured,
although the treatment is lengthy and toxic and can have long-term
consequences.

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