Cancer Risks in Children of Immigrants to Sweden
Author Information
Author(s): K Hemminki, X Li
Primary Institution: Department of Biosciences at Novum, Karolinska Institute
Hypothesis
What is the risk of nervous system tumours, leukaemia, and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma in Swedish-born children of immigrants?
Conclusion
Offspring of Yugoslav and Turkish parents have an increased risk of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, while overall cancer incidence among immigrant offspring is similar to that of Swedish natives.
Supporting Evidence
- Offspring of Yugoslav fathers had a standardized incidence ratio (SIR) of 2.27 for non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.
- The highest risk for non-Hodgkin's lymphoma was found in children of Turkish parents, with an SIR of 6.87 for those aged 0-4 years.
- Overall cancer incidence among immigrant offspring was not significantly different from that of Swedish natives.
Takeaway
This study looked at children of immigrants in Sweden and found that while most had cancer rates like Swedish kids, those with Yugoslav or Turkish parents had higher rates of a specific type of cancer called non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.
Methodology
The study used the Swedish Family-Cancer Database to analyze cancer incidence among children of immigrants, comparing them to Swedish-born children.
Limitations
The study's findings may not fully account for all immigrant groups and the data on childhood non-Hodgkin's lymphoma in the countries of origin is limited.
Participant Demographics
The study included 850,000 individuals with immigrant backgrounds from various regions including Europe, Asia, and America.
Statistical Information
Confidence Interval
95% CI calculated assuming a Poisson distribution.
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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