GEOCAP program
The overall aim of the GEOCAP program is to study the influence of environmental exposures on childhood cancer risk, based on the spatial coordinates of the place of residence.
The program is based on 2 ongoing national case-control studies integrated into the CCOP, GEOCAP-Diag, which began in 2002 and focuses on address of residence at diagnosis, and GEOCAP-Birth, which began in 2010 and focuses on address of residence at birth. Each year, the GEOCAP-Diag control group includes around 5,000 addresses representative of the French paediatric population. The GEOCAP-Birth control group includes around 2,000 addresses per year, representative of French births.
All addresses are geocoded in Lambert 93 coordinates using information from IGN’s BD Adresse® database (version 2.2), supplemented by information from Google Streetview, Géoportail, Google Maps, the land registry and Mappy.fr for the most complex situations. Geocoding is carried out simultaneously for cases and witnesses by RetailSonar, which has the addresses to the exclusion of any other information.
The children’s contact details, supplemented by information on age, sex, year of inclusion and diagnosis where applicable, are processed in a geographic information system to assign the estimated environmental exposures at their address to each individual.
Regulatory aspects
CNIL National Registry of Malignant Haemopathies in Children (no. 998198) and National Registry of Solid Tumours in Children (no. 900183)
Geocap notice Ref GD/CE072347. GEOCAP-AGRI receipt 2077682 v 0.
Financing
Public Health France, National Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health and Safety (ANSES), National Research Agency (ANR) – Future Investment HOPE-EPI, ARC Foundation for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute (INCa), Canceropole of Île-de-France, EDF, Pfizer Foundation.
Principal investigators
Jacqueline Clavel and Stéphanie Goujon
IRSN, RTE, Santé publique France, INRAE, IRSET, SWIS TPH, AIR PARIF, ATMO France
Objective: to study the risk of cancer in children living near crops
Financing : ANSES, INCa-PEDIAC
Collaborations: Santé publique France
➝ Exposure at time of diagnosis, period 2006-2013
Main results: increased risk of leukemia and, to a lesser extent, neuroblastoma in children living near vineyards:
Mancini M, Hemon D, de Crouy-Chanel P, Guldner L, Faure L, Clavel J, Goujon S. Association between Residential Proximity to Viticultural Areas and Childhood Acute Leukemia Risk in Mainland France: GEOCAP Case-Control Study, 2006-2013.Environ Health Perspect, 2023;131(10):107008
Awounou D, Mancini M, Lacour B, de Crouy-Chanel P, Aerts I, Minard-Colin V, Schleiermacher G, Verschuur A, Guissou S, Desandes E, Guldner L, Clavel J, Goujon S. Residential proximity to vines and risk of childhood embryonal tumours in France – GEOCAP case-control study, 2006-2013.Environ Res. 2023 Oct 19:117417.
Coste A, Goujon S, Faure L, Hemon D, Clavel J. Agricultural crop density in the municipalities of France and incidence of childhood leukemia: An ecological study. Environ Res. 2020;187:109517.
Objective: study the risk of childhood cancer in relation to traffic-related air pollutants
Financing : ANSES, INCa-PEDIAC
Collaborations: IRSET UMRS Inserm 1085, AirParif, Swiss TPH, Cohorte CONSTANCES, AtmoFrance
➝ Exposure at time of diagnosis, period 2002-2020 – GEOCAP-Air
In progress
➝ Exposure at birth, period 2010-2015
Main results: increased risk of acute leukemia with air pollution indicators (especially PM2.5) – no increased risk near roads
(article in preparation)
➝ Exposure at time of diagnosis, period 2002-2007
Main results: increased risk of acute myeloblastic leukemia in children living near high-traffic roads
Objective : to study the risk of cancer in children as a function of variations in exposure to radon and telluric gamma rays of natural origin.
Financing : ANSES, ARC, INCa, ANR
Collaborations: IRSN
➝ Exposure at time of diagnosis
Main results: no association between the risk of leukemia and the level of exposure to naturally-occurring ionizing radiation in the commune of residence at diagnosis – doubt about a possible link between exposure to naturally-occurring gamma radiation and pilocytic astrocytomas.
Demoury C, Marquant F, Ielsch G, Goujon S, Debayle C, Faure L, Coste A, Laurent O, Guillevic J, Laurier D, Hémon D, Clavel J. Residential Exposure to Natural Background Radiation and Risk of Childhood Acute Leukemia in France, 1990-2009. Environ Health Perspect. 2017 Apr;125(4):714-720.
Berlivet J, Hemon D, Clero E, Ielsch G, Laurier D, Guissou S, Lacour B, Clavel J, Goujon S. Ecological association between residential natural background radiation exposure and the incidence rate of childhood central nervous system tumors in France, 2000-2012. J Environ Radioact. 2020;211:106071.
➝ Exposure at the time of birth
Main results: no association between the risk of leukemia and the level of exposure to naturally occurring ionizing radiation in the commune of residence at birth.
Working with IRSN
Objective : to study the risk of leukemia in children living in the immediate vicinity of high-voltage power lines, and to investigate the influence of the magnetic fields generated by these lines as the current passes through them.
Financing : ANSES, ARC, INCa, ANR
Collaborations: RTE
➝ Extremely low-frequency magnetic fields and the risk of acute childhood leukemia (2002-2013)
In progress
➝ Proximity to high-voltage power lines at diagnosis and acute childhood leukemia (2002-2007)
Main results: slight increase in the risk of leukemia in children living within 50 m of an extra-high-voltage power line
Objective : to study the influence of UV exposure on the risk of childhood leukemia.
Financing : ANSES, ARC, INCa, ANR
Collaborations:
IPRI
Main results: suggestions of an increased risk of leukemia in children living in municipalities with the highest UV exposure
Coste A, Goujon S, Boniol M, Marquant F, Faure L, Dore JF, Hemon D, Clavel J. Residential exposure to solar ultraviolet radiation and incidence of childhood hematological malignancies in France.Cancer Causes Control, 2015;26(9):1339-49 PMID:26169300.
Objective : to study the risk of leukemia in children living within 20 km of a nuclear power plant, and the influence of exposure to radioactive releases
Financing : ANSES, ARC, INCa, ANR
Collaborations: IRSN
Main results: increased risk of acute leukemia in children living within 5 km of a nuclear power plant, but no association with radioactive releases from the plants