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A case–control study of childhood brain tumors and fathers’ hobbies: a Children’s Oncology Group study

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Abstract

Objective

A comprehensive case–control study was conducted to evaluate parental risk factors for medulloblastoma (MB) and primitive neuroectodermal tumor (PNET). This analysis was conducted to evaluate associations between fathers’ hobbies and risk of their children developing MB/PNET. The hobbies chosen for study were those with similar exposures as occupations associated with childhood cancers.

Methods

Cases were 318 subjects under six years of age at diagnosis between 1991 and 1997 and registered with the Children’s Cancer Group. An equal number of controls were selected through random digit dialing and individually matched to cases.

Results

In multivariate analyses, a significant association was seen for lawn care with pesticides [during pregnancy: odds ratio (OR) = 1.6, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.0, 2.5; after birth: OR = 1.8, 95% CI: 1.2, 2.8] and a weak association was seen for stripping paint [during pregnancy: OR = 1.4, 95% CI: 0.8, 2.6; after birth: OR = 1.4, 95% CI: 0.7, 2.6].

Conclusions

This study suggests that household exposures from hobbies, particularly pesticides, may increase risk of MB/PNET in children; previous research has been mostly limited to occupational exposures.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Drexel University School of Public Health, Philadelphia, PA, USA

    Andrea L. Rosso & Mary E. Hovinga

  2. Department of Neurology, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA

    Andrea L. Rosso

  3. Department of Pediatrics, Department of Pathology and Department of Neurology, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA

    Lucy B. Rorke-Adams

  4. Department of Pathology, Department of Neurology and Department of Pediatrics, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, 3535 Market Street, Rm. 1472, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA

    Lucy B. Rorke-Adams

  5. Division of Epidemiology and Clinical Research, Department of Pediatrics, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA

    Logan G. Spector

  6. University of Minnesota Cancer Center, Minneapolis, MN, USA

    Logan G. Spector

  7. Division of Oncology, Department of Pediatrics, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, 34th street and civic center, Boulevard, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA

    Greta R. Bunin

Authors
  1. Andrea L. Rosso
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  2. Mary E. Hovinga
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  3. Lucy B. Rorke-Adams
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  4. Logan G. Spector
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  5. Greta R. Bunin
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Correspondence to Greta R. Bunin.

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Rosso, A.L., Hovinga, M.E., Rorke-Adams, L.B. et al. A case–control study of childhood brain tumors and fathers’ hobbies: a Children’s Oncology Group study. Cancer Causes Control 19, 1201–1207 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10552-008-9189-7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10552-008-9189-7

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