Breast-feeding and neuroblastoma, USA and Canada.
OBJECTIVE
Researchers have suggested an inverse association between breast-feeding and risk of childhood cancer. We investigated the association between breast-feeding and neuroblastoma in a large case-control study in the United States and Canada.


METHODS
Maternal reports of breast-feeding were compared among 393 children six months or older who had neuroblastoma and were identified through the Children's Cancer Group and the Pediatric Oncology Group and 376 age-matched controls identified by random-digit telephone dialing in a telephone interview case-control study.


RESULTS
Children with neuroblastoma were less likely to have breast-fed than control children (odds ratio (OR) = 0.6; 95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.5-0.9). The association between breast-feeding and neuroblastoma increased with breast-feeding duration (0-3 months OR = 0.7, CI = 0.4-1.0; 13+ months OR = 0.5, CI = 0.3-0.9).


CONCLUSIONS
Breast-feeding was inversely associated with neuroblastoma and should be encouraged among healthy mothers. Additional research on possible mechanisms of this association may be warranted.
Daniels
Julie L
JL
Epidemiology Branch, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Research Triangle Park, NC 27709, USA. daniels1@niehs.nih.gov
Olshan
Andrew F
AF
Pollock
Brad H
BH
Shah
Narayan R
NR
Stram
Daniel O
DO
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001942:Breast Feeding; D002170:Canada / Q000453:epidemiology; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D009447:Neuroblastoma / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D016017:Odds Ratio; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology