Leukaemia mortality in French communes (administrative units) with a large and rapid population increase

Higher than expected leukaemia mortality rates have been observed in the persons under 25 years of age living in new towns in Britain. We report the results of a study on persons under 25 residing in all French communes (administrative units) in which a large and rapid population increase occurred between 1968 and 1990. The observed number of leukaemia deaths was 101, slightly less than the 112.0 expected from national mortality statistics. There was no difference in the risk of leukaemia mortality according to sex, age, size of the population increase or region (Ile de France versus others).