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Stephens J, Moorhouse AJ, Craenen K, Schroeder E, Drenos F, Anderson R. A systematic review of human evidence for the intergenerational effects of exposure to ionizing radiation. Int J Radiat Biol 2024:1-34. [PMID: 38335529 DOI: 10.1080/09553002.2024.2306328] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2023] [Accepted: 01/10/2024] [Indexed: 02/12/2024]
Abstract
PURPOSE To provide a synthesis of the published evidence pertaining to the intergenerational health effects of parental preconceptional exposure to ionizing radiation in humans. METHODS The study populations are the descendants of those who were exposed to ionizing radiation prior to conception. A Boolean search identified publications for review in accordance with Office of Health Assessment and Translation guidelines. Initially, a risk of bias assessment was conducted for each published study and relevant data extracted. Information was organized into adverse health outcome groups and exposure situations. To make an assessment from the body of evidence within each group, an initial confidence rating was assigned, before factors including inconsistencies between studies, magnitude of effect, dose response and confounders were considered. From this, 'an effect', 'no effect' or whether the evidence remained 'inadequate' to determine either effect or no effect, was ascertained. This assessment was based primarily upon the author's conclusions within that evidence-base and, by binomial probability testing of the direction of effect reported. RESULTS 2441 publications were identified for review which after screening was reduced to 127. For the majority of the adverse health groups, we find there to be inadequate evidence from which to determine whether the health effect was, or was not, associated with parental preconceptional radiation exposure. This was largely due to heterogeneity between individual study's findings and conclusions within each group and, the limited number of studies within each group. We did observe one health grouping (congenital abnormalities) in occupationally exposed populations, where an increase in effect relative to their controls or large magnitude of effects, were reported, although it is noted that the authors of these studies interpreted their findings as most likely not to be associated with parental radiation exposure. CONCLUSIONS We find there to be a lack of evidence to enable the formal assessment of radiation-related adverse effects in offspring of exposed humans. This is not the same as there being no clear evidence that effects may occur but does infer that if adverse health effects do arise in children of exposed parents, then these effects are small and difficult to reproducibly measure. Inconsistencies in designing studies are unavoidable, however we highlight the need for an element of standardization and, more sharing of primary datasets as part of open access initiatives, in order for future reviews to make reasonable conclusions. Overall, there is a need for future work to ensure comparable measures between studies where possible.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jade Stephens
- Centre for Health Effects of Radiological and Chemical Agents, Department of Life Sciences, College of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences, Brunel University London, Uxbridge, UK
| | - Alexander J Moorhouse
- Centre for Health Effects of Radiological and Chemical Agents, Department of Life Sciences, College of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences, Brunel University London, Uxbridge, UK
- School of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of Bristol, University Walk, Bristol, UK
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Bath, Bath, UK
| | - Kai Craenen
- Centre for Health Effects of Radiological and Chemical Agents, Department of Life Sciences, College of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences, Brunel University London, Uxbridge, UK
| | - Ewald Schroeder
- Centre for Health Effects of Radiological and Chemical Agents, Department of Life Sciences, College of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences, Brunel University London, Uxbridge, UK
| | - Fotios Drenos
- Centre for Health Effects of Radiological and Chemical Agents, Department of Life Sciences, College of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences, Brunel University London, Uxbridge, UK
| | - Rhona Anderson
- Centre for Health Effects of Radiological and Chemical Agents, Department of Life Sciences, College of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences, Brunel University London, Uxbridge, UK
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Yamamoto S, Sanefuji M, Suzuki M, Sonoda Y, Hamada N, Kato W, Ono H, Oba U, Nakashima K, Ochiai M, Kusuhara K, Koga Y, Ohga S. Pediatric leukemia and maternal occupational exposure to anticancer drugs: the Japan Environment and Children's Study. Blood 2024; 143:311-319. [PMID: 37788408 DOI: 10.1182/blood.2023021008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2023] [Revised: 08/22/2023] [Accepted: 09/04/2023] [Indexed: 10/05/2023] Open
Abstract
ABSTRACT Occupational exposure to medical agents and ionizing radiation has been suggested as a possible risk factor for childhood cancer. However, the relationship between such exposure and pediatric malignant neoplasms has not yet been comprehensively studied. This cohort study aimed to investigate the association between parental occupational exposure to hazardous medical agents or ionizing radiation and the risk of childhood cancer in offspring. Data from a large birth cohort in Japan, which included 104 062 fetuses, were analyzed. The primary outcome was the development of leukemia or brain tumors diagnosed by community physicians during the first 3 years after birth. Exposure factors were medical agents, including anticancer agents, ionizing radiation, and anesthetics, handled by mothers during pregnancy or by fathers for 3 months before conception. The incidence of leukemia, but not of brain tumors, was higher in mothers exposed to anticancer drugs. Multivariable regression analysis showed that maternal exposure to anticancer drugs was associated with an increased risk of leukemia in offspring older than 1 year (adjusted relative risk, 7.99 [95% confidence interval, 1.98-32.3]). Detailed information obtained from medical certificates of patients with identified leukemia revealed no infant leukemia but acute lymphoblastic leukemias in the exposed group. Our findings suggest that maternal occupational exposure to anticancer drugs may be a potential risk factor for acute lymphoblastic leukemia in offspring older than 1 year. Effective prevention methods may be necessary to prevent maternal exposure to anticancer drugs and to reduce the risk of childhood malignant neoplasms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shunsuke Yamamoto
- Department of Pediatrics, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan
| | - Masafumi Sanefuji
- Department of Pediatrics, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan
- Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, Saga University, Saga, Japan
| | - Maya Suzuki
- Department of Pediatrics, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan
| | - Yuri Sonoda
- Department of Pediatrics, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan
- Research Center for Environment and Developmental Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan
| | - Norio Hamada
- Research Center for Environment and Developmental Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan
| | - Wakako Kato
- Department of Pediatrics, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan
| | - Hiroaki Ono
- Department of Pediatrics, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan
| | - Utako Oba
- Department of Pediatrics, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan
| | - Kentaro Nakashima
- Department of Pediatrics, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Occupational and Environmental Health, Kitakyushu, Japan
| | - Masayuki Ochiai
- Department of Pediatrics, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan
- Research Center for Environment and Developmental Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan
| | - Koichi Kusuhara
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Occupational and Environmental Health, Kitakyushu, Japan
- Regional Center for Japan Environment and Children's Study, University of Occupational and Environmental Health, Kitakyushu, Japan
| | - Yuhki Koga
- Department of Pediatrics, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan
- Department of Perinatal and Pediatric Medicine, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan
| | - Shouichi Ohga
- Department of Pediatrics, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan
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Koga Y, Sanefuji M, Toya S, Oba U, Nakashima K, Ono H, Yamamoto S, Suzuki M, Sonoda Y, Ogawa M, Yamamoto H, Kusuhara K, Ohga S. Infantile neuroblastoma and maternal occupational exposure to medical agents. Pediatr Res 2021:10.1038/s41390-021-01634-z. [PMID: 34244617 DOI: 10.1038/s41390-021-01634-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2021] [Revised: 04/07/2021] [Accepted: 05/11/2021] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Healthcare workers are often exposed to hazardous agents and are at risk for adverse health consequences that affect not only themselves but also their infants. This study aimed to examine whether such occupational exposure increased the risk of childhood cancer in offspring. METHODS We used the dataset of the Japan Environment and Children's Study, a nationwide birth cohort involving over 100,000 mother-child pairs. Information was obtained via successive questionnaires that were completed until the child turned 1 year of age. The parents were asked whether they occupationally handled medical agents during pregnancy. RESULTS A total of 26 infants developed neoplasms: neuroblastoma, leukemia, and brain tumor. The incidence of neuroblastoma was significantly higher in infants whose mothers were exposed to radiation (3/2142: 140.1 per 100,000 population) than in those who were not (12/90,384: 13.3 per 100,000 population). Multivariable regression analyses revealed a close association between maternal irradiation and the development of neuroblastoma (adjusted incident rate ratio: 10.68 [95% confidence interval: 2.98‒38.27]). CONCLUSIONS The present study demonstrated, for the first time, a potential association between maternal occupational exposure and the occurrence of neuroblastoma in offspring. Further studies involving the large pediatric cancer registries are needed to confirm these preliminary results. IMPACT Healthcare workers are often exposed to hazardous agents and are at risk for adverse health consequences that affect not only themselves but also their infants. This study examined the association between such occupational exposure and offspring's cancers that developed until the age of 1 year. Maternal exposure to ionizing radiation was associated with infantile neuroblastoma in offspring. Further studies involving the large pediatric cancer registries are needed to confirm these preliminary results.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuhki Koga
- Department of Pediatrics, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan.
| | - Masafumi Sanefuji
- Department of Pediatrics, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan
- Research Center for Environment and Developmental Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan
| | - Syunichiro Toya
- Department of Pediatrics, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan
| | - Utako Oba
- Department of Pediatrics, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan
| | - Kentaro Nakashima
- Department of Pediatrics, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan
| | - Hiroaki Ono
- Department of Pediatrics, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan
| | - Shunsuke Yamamoto
- Department of Pediatrics, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan
| | - Maya Suzuki
- Department of Pediatrics, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan
| | - Yuri Sonoda
- Department of Pediatrics, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan
- Research Center for Environment and Developmental Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan
| | - Masanobu Ogawa
- Research Center for Environment and Developmental Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan
| | - Hiroyuki Yamamoto
- Department of Pediatrics, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan
- Research Center for Environment and Developmental Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan
| | - Koichi Kusuhara
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Occupational and Environmental Health, Kitakyushu, Japan
- Regional Center for Japan Environment and Children's Study, University of Occupational and Environmental Health, Kitakyushu, Japan
| | - Shouichi Ohga
- Department of Pediatrics, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan
- Research Center for Environment and Developmental Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan
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Boice JD. The Likelihood of Adverse Pregnancy Outcomes and Genetic Disease (Transgenerational Effects) from Exposure to Radioactive Fallout from the 1945 Trinity Atomic Bomb Test. HEALTH PHYSICS 2020; 119:494-503. [PMID: 32881736 PMCID: PMC7497471 DOI: 10.1097/hp.0000000000001170] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 08/10/2019] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
The potential health consequences of the Trinity nuclear weapon test of 16 July 1945 at Alamogordo, New Mexico, are challenging to assess. Population data are available for mortality but not for cancer incidence for New Mexico residents for the first 25 y after the test, and the estimates of radiation dose to the nearby population are lower than the cumulative dose received from ubiquitous natural background radiation. Despite the estimates of low population exposures, it is believed by some that cancer rates in counties near the Trinity test site (located in Socorro County) are elevated compared with other locations across the state. Further, there is a concern about adverse pregnancy outcomes and genetic diseases (transgenerational or heritable effects) related to population exposure to fallout radiation. The possibility of an intergenerational effect has long been a concern of exposed populations, e.g., Japanese atomic bomb survivors, survivors of childhood and adolescent cancer, radiation workers, and environmentally exposed groups. In this paper, the likelihood of discernible transgenerational effects is discounted because (1) in all large-scale comprehensive studies of exposed populations, no heritable genetic effects have been demonstrated in children of exposed parents; (2) the distribution of estimated doses from Trinity is much lower than in other studied populations where no transgenerational effects have been observed; and (3) there is no evidence of increased cancer rates among the scientific, military, and professional participants at the Trinity test and at other nuclear weapons tests who received much higher doses than New Mexico residents living downwind of the Trinity site.
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Affiliation(s)
- John D. Boice
- National Council on Radiation Protection and Measurements, Bethesda, MD
- Vanderbilt University Department of Medicine, Division of Epidemiology, Nashville, TN
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Kendall GM, Bithell JF, Bunch KJ, Draper GJ, Kroll ME, Murphy MFG, Stiller CA, Vincent TJ. Childhood cancer research in oxford III: The work of CCRG on ionising radiation. Br J Cancer 2018; 119:771-778. [PMID: 30131551 PMCID: PMC6173777 DOI: 10.1038/s41416-018-0182-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2017] [Revised: 05/26/2018] [Accepted: 06/20/2018] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND High doses of ionising radiation are a known cause of childhood cancer and great public and professional interest attaches to possible links between childhood cancer and lower doses, particularly of man-made radiation. This paper describes work done by the Childhood Cancer Research Group (CCRG) on this topic METHODS: Most UK investigations have made use of the National Registry of Childhood Tumours and associated controls. Epidemiological investigations have included national incidence and mortality analyses, geographical investigations, record linkage and case-control studies. Dosimetric studies use biokinetic and dosimetric modelling. RESULTS This paper reviews the work of the CCRG on the association between exposure to ionising radiation and childhood cancer, 1975-2014. CONCLUSION The work of CCRG has been influential in developing understanding of the causes of 'clusters' of childhood cancer and the risks arising from exposure to ionising radiation both natural and man-made. Some clusters around nuclear installations have certainly been observed, but ionising radiation does not seem to be a plausible cause. The group's work has also been instrumental in discounting the hypothesis that paternal preconception irradiation was a cause of childhood cancers and has demonstrated an increased leukaemia risk for children exposed to higher levels of natural gamma-ray radiation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gerald M Kendall
- Cancer Epidemiology Unit, Nuffield Department of Population Health, University of Oxford, Richard Doll Building, Old Road Campus, Oxford, OX3 7LF, UK.
| | - John F Bithell
- Department of Statistics, University of Oxford, 24-29 St Giles', Oxford, OX1 3LB, UK
| | - Kathryn J Bunch
- National Perinatal Epidemiology Unit, Nuffield Department of Population Health, University of Oxford, Richard Doll Building, Old Road Campus, Oxford, OX3 7LF, UK
| | - Gerald J Draper
- Department of Statistics, University of Oxford, 24-29 St Giles', Oxford, OX1 3LB, UK
| | - Mary E Kroll
- National Perinatal Epidemiology Unit, Nuffield Department of Population Health, University of Oxford, Richard Doll Building, Old Road Campus, Oxford, OX3 7LF, UK
| | - Michael F G Murphy
- Nuffield Department of Women's and Reproductive Health John Radcliffe Hospital, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX3 9DU, UK
| | - Charles A Stiller
- National Cancer Registration and Analysis Service, Public Health England, Chancellor Court, Oxford Business Park South, Oxford, OX4 2GX, UK
| | - Tim J Vincent
- Formerly of Childhood Cancer Research Group, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
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Childhood cancer research in Oxford I: the Oxford Survey of Childhood Cancers. Br J Cancer 2018; 119:756-762. [PMID: 30131555 PMCID: PMC6173688 DOI: 10.1038/s41416-018-0180-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2017] [Revised: 05/26/2018] [Accepted: 06/20/2018] [Indexed: 01/29/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Significant research on the epidemiology and natural history of childhood cancer took place in the Universities of Oxford and Birmingham over sixty years. This is the first of three papers recording this work and describes the Oxford Survey of Childhood Cancers (OSCC), the largest case-control survey of childhood cancer ever undertaken. METHODS The OSCC studied deaths in Britain from 1953 to 1981. Parents were interviewed and medical records from ante-natal clinics and treatment centres were followed up and abstracted. The survey left Oxford in 1975 and was run subsequently from Birmingham. The data are now being documented and archived to make them available for future study. RESULTS Many papers have resulted from this survey, most notably those relating to the association first reported therein between childhood cancer and ante-natal X-raying. This paper is a historical review of the OSCC. CONCLUSIONS In spite of many analyses of the study, this historic data set has continuing value because of the large number of examples of some very rare tumours and the detailed clinical and family history data that are available; and also because of the possibility of carrying out new analyses to investigate emerging research issues.
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Soubry A, Hoyo C, Jirtle RL, Murphy SK. A paternal environmental legacy: evidence for epigenetic inheritance through the male germ line. Bioessays 2014; 36:359-71. [PMID: 24431278 PMCID: PMC4047566 DOI: 10.1002/bies.201300113] [Citation(s) in RCA: 238] [Impact Index Per Article: 23.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
Abstract
Literature on maternal exposures and the risk of epigenetic changes or diseases in the offspring is growing. Paternal contributions are often not considered. However, some animal and epidemiologic studies on various contaminants, nutrition, and lifestyle-related conditions suggest a paternal influence on the offspring's future health. The phenotypic outcomes may have been attributed to DNA damage or mutations, but increasing evidence shows that the inheritance of environmentally induced functional changes of the genome, and related disorders, are (also) driven by epigenetic components. In this essay we suggest the existence of epigenetic windows of susceptibility to environmental insults during sperm development. Changes in DNA methylation, histone modification, and non-coding RNAs are viable mechanistic candidates for a non-genetic transfer of paternal environmental information, from maturing germ cell to zygote. Inclusion of paternal factors in future research will ultimately improve the understanding of transgenerational epigenetic plasticity and health-related effects in future generations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adelheid Soubry
- Epidemiology Research Group, Department of Public Health and Primary Care, Faculty of Medicine, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
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Bailey HD, Armstrong BK, de Klerk NH, Fritschi L, Attia J, Lockwood L, Milne E. Exposure to Diagnostic Radiological Procedures and the Risk of Childhood Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2010; 19:2897-909. [DOI: 10.1158/1055-9965.epi-10-0542] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
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McGrath P, Phillips E. “It Is Very Hard”: Treatment for Childhood Lymphoma from the Parents' Perspective. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2009; 31:37-54. [DOI: 10.1080/01460860701877209] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
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Abstract
This review considers recent studies regarding the role of environmental factors in the etiology of childhood leukemia and lymphoma. Potential environmental risk factors identified for childhood leukemia include exposure to magnetic fields of more than 0.4 micro Tessla, exposure to pesticides, solvents, benzene and other hydrocarbons, maternal alcohol consumption (but only for certain genotypes), contaminated drinking water, infections, and high birth weight. The finding of space-time clustering and seasonal variation also supports a role for infections. There is little evidence linking childhood leukemia with lifetime exposure to ionizing radiation although fetal exposures to X-rays are associated with increased risk. Breast-feeding, consumption of fresh fruit and vegetables and having allergies all appear to be protective. Burkitt lymphoma (BL) is confined to areas of the world where malaria is endemic, with the additional involvement of the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) as a co-factor. Environmental risk factors suggested for other types of non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) include exposure to ionizing radiation (both lifetime and antenatal), pesticides, and, in utero exposure to cigarette smoke, benzene and nitrogen dioxide (via the mother). Hodgkin lymphoma (HL) is especially associated with higher levels of socioeconomic deprivation, but breast-feeding seems to confer lower risk. This is consistent with an infection or immune-response mediated etiology for HL.
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Affiliation(s)
- Richard J Q McNally
- School of Clinical Medical Sciences, Child Health, University of Newcastle Upon Tyne, UK.
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Abstract
This study uses record linkage between the National Registry of Childhood Tumours (NRCT) and the National Registry for Radiation Workers to re-assess our earlier finding that the offspring of women radiation workers exposed to ionising radiation before the child's conception may be at an increased risk of childhood cancer. An additional 16 964 childhood cancer patients taken from the NRCT, together with the same number of matched controls, are included. Pooled analyses, based on the new and original datasets, include 52 612 cases and their matched controls. Relative risks (RRs) for maternal employment as a radiation worker, maternal exposure or not during the relevant pregnancy and pattern of employment relative to conception and diagnosis dates were calculated. The new data provide no evidence of an increased risk of childhood cancer associated with maternal preconception radiation work and thus do not support our earlier finding of a raised risk in the offspring of female radiation workers. Considering the pooled data, a weak association was found between maternal radiation work during pregnancy and childhood cancer in offspring although the evidence is limited by the small numbers of linked cases and controls.
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Draper G. Preconception exposures to potential germ-cell mutagens. RADIATION PROTECTION DOSIMETRY 2008; 132:241-245. [PMID: 18977774 DOI: 10.1093/rpd/ncn256] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
Radiation and other agents can cause germ-cell mutations in animal systems. No human germ-cell mutagen has been identified, but this does not mean that human germ-cells are not vulnerable to mutagenesis. There has been particular concern about the possible health effects on offspring following parental preconception exposure to ionizing radiation-both occupational and therapeutic. A strong association with preconception radiation exposure in the fathers of the cases was found in a case-control study of young people with leukaemia living near the Sellafield nuclear plant in the UK. Subsequent studies of workers occupationally exposed to ionizing radiation have failed to confirm these findings. No statistically significant effects have been reported from studies of possible indicators of germ-cell mutagenesis in the A-bomb survivors. Studies of offspring of cancer survivors who receive radiotherapy and mutagenic chemotherapy have found no evidence of germ-cell mutagenesis. Failure to detect human germ-cell mutagenic agents may be a consequence of inadequate study sizes or insufficiently sensitive laboratory techniques.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gerald Draper
- Childhood Cancer Research Group, University of Oxford, 57 Woodstock Road, Oxford OX2 6HJ, UK.
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Law GR, Feltbower RG, Taylor JC, Parslow RC, Gilthorpe MS, Boyle P, McKinney PA. What do epidemiologists mean by 'population mixing'? Pediatr Blood Cancer 2008; 51:155-60. [PMID: 18421720 DOI: 10.1002/pbc.21570] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
There is growing evidence that some chronic diseases are caused, or promoted, by infectious disease. 'Population mixing' has been used as a proxy for the range and dose of infectious agents circulating in a community. Given the speculation over the role of population mixing in many chronic diseases, we review the various methods used for measuring population mixing, and provide a classification of these. We recommend that authors fulfill two criteria in publications: measures are demonstrably associated with the putative risk factors for which population-mixing is acting as a proxy and fundamental characteristics of the chosen measures are clearly defined.
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Affiliation(s)
- Graham R Law
- Biostatistics Unit, University of Leeds, Leeds, UK
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Cordier S. Evidence for a Role of Paternal Exposures in Developmental Toxicity. Basic Clin Pharmacol Toxicol 2008; 102:176-81. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1742-7843.2007.00162.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 75] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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Buka I, Koranteng S, Osornio Vargas AR. Trends in childhood cancer incidence: review of environmental linkages. Pediatr Clin North Am 2007; 54:177-203, x. [PMID: 17306690 DOI: 10.1016/j.pcl.2006.11.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Cancer in children is rare and accounts for about 1% of all malignancies. In the developed world, however, it is the commonest cause of disease-related deaths in childhood, carrying with it a great economic and emotional cost. Cancers are assumed to be multivariate, multifactorial diseases that occur when a complex and prolonged process involving genetic and environmental factors interact in a multistage sequence. This article explores the available evidence for this process, primarily from the environmental linkages perspective but including some evidence of the genetic factors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Irena Buka
- Paediatric Environmental Health Specialty Unit, Misericordia Hospital, 3 West, 16940 - 87 Avenue, Edmonton, AB T5R 4H5, Canada.
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