Ecoepidemiology of Child-Adolescent Cancer Mortality in Argentina

Abstract

Introduction: Whereas mortality records in Argentina are reliable, cancer incidence records are inconsistent. If analyzing this variable in child-adolescent population, the situation differs from the general population. The relationship between arsenic and agrochemicals exposure with cancer is a controversial issue, which depends on the world’s populations and regions, as well as on the periods under analysis. This study aims at analyzing the possible association between child-adolescent cancer mortality and the environmental conditions of one of the most agriculturally developed regions of Argentina that accounts for a high percentage of the population exposed to elevated levels of arsenic. Methodology: An analysis was carried out considering deaths ranging from 0to 19 years of age (2000-2019). In a first descriptive analysis, standardized mortality ratios were calculated, identifying high and low risk clusters. Percentages of the population exposed to arsenic and a planted hectare per capita index were constructed as indicators of agrochemical exposure. The relationships between median rates and environmental factors were analyzed. Results: Three significant spatial clusters of high and low risk were identified. Average values of planted hectares per inhabitant and percentages of population exposed to arsenic are obtained for the departments comprising the clusters. The relationships between mortality and environmental variables showed medians, of the latter, coinciding with the high and low risk clusters, which define significant coincidences. Conclusions: A relationship is observed between risk clusters and environmental factors, which coincides and/ or disagrees with other studies in other regions. There are limitations that correspond to ecological studies.