Parental cancer as a risk factor for nine common childhood malignancies
2001
Parental Cancer and Childhood Tumors
Sample size: 8158
publication
Evidence: moderate
Author Information
Author(s): Hemminki K, Mutanen P
Primary Institution: Department of Biosciences at Novum, Karolinska Institute
Hypothesis
Does parental cancer increase the risk of childhood malignancies?
Conclusion
Parental cancer is associated with increased risks of certain childhood cancers, particularly nervous system cancers and retinoblastomas.
Supporting Evidence
- 2-fold familial increases for nervous system cancers and lymphomas were observed.
- 6.4-fold increase for endocrine tumors was noted.
- 60-fold increased risk for retinoblastomas was found.
- No excess risk for leukaemia and Wilms tumor was identified.
Takeaway
If a parent has cancer, their child might have a higher chance of getting some types of cancer, like brain cancer or retinoblastoma.
Methodology
Analysis of childhood tumors using the nationwide Swedish Family-Cancer Database.
Participant Demographics
Offspring of parents with cancer in Sweden.
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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