Evidence map›Paper›PMID 35255910›Full record

ArticleEnvironmental health : a global access science source2022

Temporal clustering of neuroblastic tumours in children and young adults from Ontario, Canada.

Louise Hayes, Nermine Basta, Colin R Muirhead, Jason D Pole, Paul Gibson, Bruna Di Monte, Meredith S Irwin, Mark Greenberg, Deborah A Tweddle, Richard J Q McNally

Open access · goldAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Environmental health : a global access science source, 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
0.2field-weighted citation impact, top 46% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed, 3 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Temporal clustering of neuroblastic tumours in children and young adults from Scotland.Environmental health : a global access science source · 2026
    Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

10 authors at 4 institutions in 3 countries.

Louise HayesPopulation Health Sciences Institute & Newcastle University Centre for Cancer, Newcastle University, Sir James Spence Institute, Royal Victoria Infirmary, Queen Victoria Road, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 4LP, UK.
Nermine BastaPopulation Health Sciences Institute & Newcastle University Centre for Cancer, Newcastle University, Sir James Spence Institute, Royal Victoria Infirmary, Queen Victoria Road, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 4LP, UK.
Colin R MuirheadPopulation Health Sciences Institute & Newcastle University Centre for Cancer, Newcastle University, Sir James Spence Institute, Royal Victoria Infirmary, Queen Victoria Road, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 4LP, UK.
Jason D PolePediatric Oncology Group of Ontario, Toronto, Canada.
Paul GibsonPediatric Oncology Group of Ontario, Toronto, Canada.
Bruna Di MontePediatric Oncology Group of Ontario, Toronto, Canada.
Meredith S IrwinDepartment of Paediatrics, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Canada.
Mark GreenbergPediatric Oncology Group of Ontario, Toronto, Canada.
Deborah A TweddleWolfson Childhood Cancer Research Centre, Translational and Clinical Research Institute, Newcastle University Centre for Cancer, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK.
Richard J Q McNallyPopulation Health Sciences Institute & Newcastle University Centre for Cancer, Newcastle University, Sir James Spence Institute, Royal Victoria Infirmary, Queen Victoria Road, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 4LP, UK. Richard.McNally@ncl.ac.uk.ORCID 0000-0001-6685-6467
Pediatric Oncology Group · CARoyal Victoria Infirmary · GBGreat North Children's Hospital · GBHospital for Sick Children · CA

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundThe aetiology of neuroblastic tumours is likely to involve both genetic and environmental factors. A number of possible environmental risk factors have been suggested, including infection. If an irregular temporal pattern in incidence is found, this might suggest that a transient agent, such as an infection, is implicated. Previous work has found evidence for temporal clustering in children and young adults living in northern England.

methodsWe examined data from a second population-based registry from Ontario, Canada to determine whether there was evidence of temporal clustering of neuroblastic tumours. Cases diagnosed in children and young adults aged 0-19 years between 1985 and 2016 were extracted from the population-based Pediatric Oncology Group of Ontario Networked Information System (POGONIS). A modified version of the Potthoff-Whittinghill method was used to test for temporal clustering. Estimates of extra-Poisson variation (EPV) and standard errors (SE) were obtained.

resultsEight hundred seventy-six cases of neuroblastic tumours were diagnosed during the study period. Overall, no evidence of temporal clustering was found between fortnights, between months or between quarters within years. However, significant EPV was found between years within the full study period (EPV = 1.05, SE = 0.25; P = 0.005).

conclusionsThe findings are consistent with the possibility that a transient agent, such as an infection that is characterised by 'peaks and troughs' in its occurrence, might be implicated in the aetiology of neuroblastic tumours. However, this pattern may also reflect a long-term increase in the numbers of cases, rather than peaks and troughs.

Indexed as

NeoplasmsChildCluster AnalysisEnglandHumansIncidenceInfantOntarioYoung AdultEpidemiologyNeuroblastic tumoursTemporal clustering

Identifiers

PMID35255910
PMCPMC8902763
OpenAlexW4220865386

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.