Familial history of cancer and childhood acute leukemia: a French population-based case-control study.
A case-control study was conducted to investigate the role of a familial history of cancer in the etiology of childhood acute leukemia. The history of cancer in the relatives of 472 cases was compared with that of 567 population-based controls. Recruitment was frequency matched on age, sex and region. The familial history of cancer in each child's relatives was reported by the mother in response to a standardized self-administered questionnaire. A familial history of solid tumor in first or second-degree relatives was associated with an increased risk of acute lymphoblastic leukemia (odds ratio (OR)=1.6 [95% confidence interval, 1.2-2.1]), while a familial history of hematopoietic malignancies in first or second-degree relatives was associated with an increased risk of acute myeloid leukemia (OR=4.3 [1.4-13]). The ORs for the histories of cancer increased with the number of relatives with cancer (OR=1.5 [1.1-2.0] for one relative and OR=2.3 [1.3-3.8] for two relatives or more; Ptrend<0.0001). Significant associations between childhood acute leukemia and familial history of genital cancers and brain tumor were also observed (OR=2.7 [1.2-5.8] and OR=10.7 [1.3-86], respectively). This study supports the hypothesis that a familial history of cancer may play a role in the etiology of childhood acute leukemia. It also evidences some specific associations that require further investigation.
Ripert
Mahaut
M
INSERM, U754, IFR69, Villejuif, France.
Menegaux
Florence
F
Perel
Yves
Y
Méchinaud
Françoise
F
Plouvier
Emmanuel
E
Gandemer
Virginie
V
Lutz
Patrick
P
Vannier
Jean-Pierre
JP
Lamagnére
Jean-Pierre
JP
Margueritte
Geneviève
G
Boutard
Patrick
P
Robert
Alain
A
Armari-Alla
Corinne
C
Munzer
Martine
M
Millot
Frédéric
F
de Lumley
Lionel
L
Berthou
Christian
C
Rialland
Xavier
X
Pautard
Brigitte
B
Clavel
Jacqueline
J
D000208:Acute Disease; D000293:Adolescent; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005190:Family; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007938:Leukemia / Q000235:genetics*; D008297:Male; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics*