Smoking and hepatoblastoma: confounding by birth weight?
2003
Smoking and Hepatoblastoma: The Role of Birth Weight
Commentary
Author Information
Author(s): Spector L G, Ross J A
Primary Institution: University of Minnesota Medical School
Hypothesis
Is there an alternative mechanism to direct carcinogenesis by tobacco metabolites in the link between parental smoking and hepatoblastoma risk?
Conclusion
Low birth weight, especially very low birth weight, is suggested as a risk factor for hepatoblastoma, potentially confounding the relationship with parental smoking.
Supporting Evidence
- Recent reports indicate that low and very low birth weight children have higher proportions among hepatoblastoma cases than in the general population.
- Survival rates for low and very low birth weight infants have improved since the 1980s.
- The rate of hepatoblastoma has increased significantly in the US over the same time period.
Takeaway
This study suggests that babies born very small might be more likely to get a type of liver cancer, and that smoking could be linked to having smaller babies.
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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