Abstract Background: Pediatric cancer in Puerto Rico shows distinct patterns compared to the U.S., with Hispanic children experiencing disproportionate burdens. Previous observations indicate high rates of malignant epithelial neoplasms, most of which are thyroid cancers. Puerto Rico also contains numerous EPA Superfund and Toxic Release Inventory (TRI) sites that release IARC-classified carcinogens. This study integrates pediatric cancer epidemiology with regional environmental contamination to contextualize risk patterns. Methods: Pediatric cancer cases ages 0 to 18 diagnosed from 2009 to 2020 and pediatric thyroid cancer cases ages 0 to 20 diagnosed from 2000 to 2022, were obtained from the Puerto Rico Central Cancer Registry. Incidence, staging, and mortality patterns were described. Thyroid cancer case distribution was compared with the geographic placement of EPA Superfund and TRI facilities, and contaminant profiles were classified using IARC rankings. Results: Among 1,666 pediatric cancer cases diagnosed from 2009 to 2020, the most common cancers were leukemias (24.25%), malignant epithelial neoplasms (predominantly thyroid cancers) Part 1 (Regular Abstracts); 2026 Apr 17-22; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2026;86(7 Suppl):Abstract nr 3556.
Acevedo et al. (Fri,) studied this question.