We must act over child cancer surge

Is modern life killing our children? Analysis by the charity Children with Cancer suggests that in just 20 years the number of cancer cases in children has leapt by 40 per cent due to pollution, pesticides and gadgets.

Around 4,000 children and young people develop cancer each year and it is the leading cause of death in children aged one to 14 in the UK. Cases of colon cancer in children are up 200 per cent, while thyroid cancer cases have more than doubled.

These increases may in part be attributed to population growth and improved detection procedures. But Professor Denis Henshaw, the charity’s scientific director, argues that the figures cannot be explained by improvements in cancer diagnosis or registration alone – “lifestyle and environmental causal factors must be considered”. He cites burnt barbecues, the electric fields of power lines, and hairdryers as contributing to the rise. Many items on the list of environmental causes, he adds, are known to be carcinogenic, such as air pollution, pesticides and solvents.

Now it’s by no means clear how much weight should be assigned to those factors as causes of cancer. But the figures are disconcerting, not least because it is very difficult to avoid many of the everyday features that this research highlights. But it would be wrong to give up in despair. Many major improvements have been achieved in reducing toxic car emissions and in promoting healthier lifestyles. The report itself reinforces the need to ensure new “lifestyle improvement” products are given careful scrutiny. And more immediately, we need detailed and thorough research – and targeted action to follow.