Paediatric oncology textbooks often open with a chapter on epidemiology, usually rather brief and tending to reflect the particular interests of the authors or editors. Numerous review articles have dealt with a few putative risk factors, but until now there has been no comprehensive review of the evidence on childhood cancer aetiology.

Epidemiology of Childhood Cancer represents a Herculean feat of almost single handed compilation and synthesis (only one chapter has any co-authors). Therein lies its main strengths and weaknesses. The introductory chapter contains a lucid discussion of study …