Fluoride in drinking water and osteosarcoma incidence rates in the continental United States among children and adolescents
Cancer Epidemiology, 03/27/2012
Levy M et al.– The ecological analysis suggests that the water fluoridation status in the continental U.S. has no influence on osteosarcoma incidence rates during childhood and adolescence.
Methods- The authors used the cumulative osteosarcoma incidence rate data from the CDC Wonder database for 1999-2006, categorized by age group, sex and states.
- States were categorized as low (≤30%) or high (≥85%) according to the percentage of the population receiving CWF between 1992 and 2006.
- Confidence intervals for the incidence rates were calculated using the Gamma distribution and the incidence rates were compared between groups using Poisson regression models.
- The authors found no sex-specific statistical differences in the national incidence rates in the younger groups (5-9, 10-14), although 15-19 males were at higher risk to osteosarcoma than females in the same age group (p<0.001).
- Sex and age group specific incidence rates were similar in both CWF state categories.
- The higher incidence rates among 15-19year old males vs females was not associated with the state fluoridation status.
- They also compared sex and age specific osteosarcoma incidence rates cumulated from 1973 to 2007 from the SEER 9 Cancer Registries for single age groups from 5 to 19.
- There were no statistical differences between sexes for 5-14year old children although incidence rates for single age groups for 15-19year old males were significantly higher than for females.
