title: Family history of cancer among children with brain tumors: a critical review.
abstract: The occurrence of brain tumors in children has been anecdotally associated with an increased cancer incidence among relatives. This study rigorously reviewed the epidemiologic literature regarding family history of cancer in children with brain tumors. Six case-control and 10 cohort studies remained after applying stringent inclusion criteria. Most studies found no significant increase in cancer risk among relatives of childhood brain tumor patients. Those associations that were detected were often of borderline significance or demonstrated wide confidence intervals. There is limited evidence that a family history of cancer is more common among families of childhood brain tumor patients.
authors.affiliation: Stanford Cancer Center, Stanford University School of Medicine, Palo Alto, CA 94305-5826, USA. dearlove@standford.edu
authors.forename: Joanna V
authors.initials: JV
authors.lastname: Dearlove
authors.forename: Paul Graham
authors.initials: PG
authors.lastname: Fisher
authors.forename: Patricia A
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Buffler
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001932:Brain Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000235:genetics*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005190:Family; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012307:Risk Factors