High risk of lymphomas in children of Asian origin: ethnicity or confounding by socioeconomic status?

To examine the role of ethnic origin as a risk factor for paediatric lymphoma, a cancer registry-based analysis was undertaken in Yorkshire, UK. Children of Asian ethnic origin were found to have an odds ratio for lymphomas of 1.60 (CI 0.98-2.62), after adjusting for age and sex. After adjusting also for 'super profile group' as an indicator of socioeconomic status, the estimate became 1.99 (CI 1.08-3.68). Hodgkin's disease and non-Hodgkin's lymphomas were analysed separately with similar results. Super profile group is an area-based measure and may not reflect the individual variation in living standards, especially among the Asian immigrants. Our results indicate that socioeconomic status does not confound the relationship between lymphomas and ethnic origin. However, there is a need for studies of ethnicity that include indicators of individual living standards or socioeconomic status.