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Decreased survival for childhood leukemia in proximity to television towers.

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Hocking B, Gordon I. · 2003

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Children with leukemia living near TV towers had half the 10-year survival rate of those farther away, suggesting RF radiation worsens cancer outcomes.

Plain English Summary

Summary written for general audiences

Researchers in Australia studied children with leukemia living near television transmission towers and found that those living closest to the towers had significantly worse survival rates. Children within 4 kilometers of the towers had only a 55% five-year survival rate compared to 71% for those living farther away (4-12 kilometers from the towers). This suggests that proximity to radio frequency radiation from broadcast towers may not only increase cancer risk but also make existing cancers more deadly.

Why This Matters

This study reveals a deeply troubling pattern that extends beyond EMF exposure simply causing cancer - it suggests that radio frequency radiation may actually make childhood leukemia more aggressive and harder to treat. The science demonstrates a clear dose-response relationship: the closer children lived to television towers, the worse their chances of survival became. What makes this particularly significant is that television towers emit the same type of radio frequency radiation as cell towers, though typically at higher power levels. The reality is that we're not just talking about theoretical risks here - these are real children whose survival was measurably compromised by their proximity to RF sources. While this study focused on high-power broadcast towers, it raises serious questions about the long-term health impacts of the increasingly dense network of wireless infrastructure being installed in our communities without adequate safety testing.

Exposure Information

Specific exposure levels were not quantified in this study.

Study Details

The aim of this study is to investigate Decreased survival for childhood leukemia in proximity to television towers.

In the current study, the authors examined the survival experience of these children for all childho...

Of 123 cases of acute lymphatic leukemia, 29 cases (16 of whom died) were in the inner ring of munic...

There was an association between residential proximity to the television towers and decreased survival among cases of childhood leukemia in North Sydney, Australia.

Cite This Study
Hocking B, Gordon I. (2003). Decreased survival for childhood leukemia in proximity to television towers. Arch Environ Health. 58(9):560-564, 2003.
Show BibTeX
@article{b_2003_decreased_survival_for_childhood_2199,
  author = {Hocking B and Gordon I.},
  title = {Decreased survival for childhood leukemia in proximity to television towers.},
  year = {2003},
  
  url = {https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15369273/},
}
PubMed: 15369273

Cited By (12 papers)

Quick Questions About This Study

Research from Australia found that children with leukemia living within 4 kilometers of television transmission towers had significantly lower survival rates. Those closest to the towers had only 55% five-year survival compared to 71% for children living farther away.
A 2003 study found children with leukemia living near TV towers were 23% less likely to survive than those living farther away. The mortality rate was twice as high for children within 4 kilometers of the transmission towers.
Australian researchers found that children with leukemia living closest to television towers had worse outcomes. Five-year survival dropped from 71% for distant children to just 55% for those living within 4 kilometers of the towers.
Studies suggest RF radiation from broadcast towers may interfere with cancer recovery. Children with leukemia living near TV towers showed significantly reduced survival rates, with 10-year survival dropping from 62% to just 33% for those closest.
Research indicates proximity to television transmission towers may worsen childhood leukemia outcomes. Children living within 4 kilometers of towers had double the mortality rate and 16% lower survival compared to those living farther away.