Family history of cancer and renal cell cancer risk in Caucasians and African Americans.
BACKGROUND
The association between renal cell carcinoma (RCC) risk and family history of cancer has not been examined with an adequate number of African Americans (AAs).


METHODS
In a population-based case-control study, unconditional logistic regression was used to calculate the association between RCC risk and a family history of cancer among 1217 RCC cases and 1235 controls.


RESULTS
Increased RCC risk was shown for subjects with at least one first-degree relative with kidney cancer (odds ratio=2.29; 95% confidence interval=1.31-4.00). No differences in risk were observed when analyses were stratified by race. For Caucasians, excess risk was observed among those reporting a sibling with kidney cancer, whereas for AAs, increased risk occurred among subjects reporting either a sibling or parent affected with the disease. A family history of non-renal cancers, and those related to smoking or to the von Hippel-Lindau syndrome, revealed no association with RCC risk.


CONCLUSIONS
The RCC risk associated with a family history of kidney cancer is similar among Caucasians and AAs.
Karami
S
S
Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, 6120 Executive Boulevard, MSC 7242, Bethesda, MD 20892-7242, USA. karamis@mail.nih.gov
Schwartz
K
K
Purdue
M P
MP
Davis
F G
FG
Ruterbusch
J J
JJ
Munuo
S S
SS
Wacholder
S
S
Graubard
B I
BI
Colt
J S
JS
Chow
W-H
WH
D000328:Adult; D001741:Black or African American / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D000368:Aged; D002292:Carcinoma, Renal Cell / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000208:ethnology / Q000209:etiology* / Q000235:genetics; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005192:Family Health; D005260:Female; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease; D006801:Humans; D007680:Kidney Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000208:ethnology / Q000209:etiology* / Q000235:genetics; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000208:ethnology / Q000209:etiology* / Q000235:genetics; D012307:Risk Factors; D044465:White People / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D055815:Young Adult