[Geographical distribution of leukemia. Study on the urban/rural relationship]

The geographical distribution of leukemia 69 soldiers of the German army died of leukemia between 1957 and 1970. Investigations were made with regard to their geographical distribution, in comparison to 1500 healthy soldiers. The percentage of leukemia patients, who lived in rural areas (villages up to 500 inhabitants) was 2.1 times higher. With regard to the birth-place this "rural provenance" was even more significant (3.6 times higher). This means: every fifth soldier, who died of leukemia, originated from a little village (of the control-group: every sixteenth). A local incidence ("clusters") was not found. The professions were of no particular significance. These findings raise the question if there exist risk factors in rural environment (domestic animals?).