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Parental alcohol consumption and risk of childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia and brain tumors

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Abstract

Purpose

Childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) is the most common childhood malignancy and brain tumors (CBTs) are the leading cause of cancer death in children. In our Australian case–control studies of these cancers, we investigated whether parental alcohol consumption before or during pregnancy was associated with risk.

Methods

Cases were identified through the ten Australian pediatric oncology centers, and controls were recruited through national random-digit dialling. Detailed information on alcohol consumption, including beverage type, amount, and timing, was collected from 690 case families (388 ALL and 302 CBT) and 1,396 control families. Data were analyzed using unconditional logistic regression.

Results

We found no evidence that maternal alcohol use before or during pregnancy was associated with an increased risk of either cancer; rather, there was evidence of inverse associations, particularly with wine. For both cancers, we observed U-shaped associations with paternal alcohol consumption in the year before the pregnancy, possibly driven by reduced risk at moderate levels of beer and wine intake and increased risk associated with high levels of beer intake. Moderate intake of spirits by fathers was associated with an increased risk of CBT but not ALL. These findings would be strengthened by corroboration in other studies. While the inverse associations with wine may be interesting mechanistically, the public health message remains that maternal alcohol use during pregnancy causes serious disorders in the offspring and should be avoided.

Conclusions

Our findings suggest that men, as well as women, should limit their alcohol intake when planning a pregnancy.

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Acknowledgments

The authors acknowledge the contribution made by our clinical co-investigators who recruited and cared for study patients at each participating hospital: Catherine Cole and Nicholas Gottardo (Princess Margaret Hospital, TICHR); John Heath and Elizabeth Smibert (Royal Children’s Hospital, Melbourne); Peter Downie (Monash Medical Centre, Melbourne); Liane Lockwood, Tim Hassell and Ross Pinkerton (Royal Children’s Hospital Brisbane); Maria Kirby (Women’s and Children’s Hospital, Adelaide); Stewart Kellie and Luciano dalla Pozza (Children’s Hospital at Westmead); Frank Alvaro (John Hunter Hospital, Newcastle); Glenn Marshall and Richard Cohn (Sydney Children’s Hospital) and John Daubenton (Royal Hobart Hospital). The authors also acknowledge the Clinical Research Associates at each hospital, and the study coordinators: Jackie Mansour, Somer Dawson, Tamika Heiden, and Helen Bailey. The National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) funded Aus-ALL (Grant number: 254539) and Aus-CBT (Grant number: 404089). Elizabeth Milne and Carol Bower were supported by NHMRC Fellowships. Support for Rodney Scott was in part from NBN Children’s Cancer Research Fund.

Consortium statement

The Aus-ALL and Aus-CBT consortia conducted the study and the Telethon Institute for Child Health Research (TICHR), University of Western Australia, was the coordinating center. Bruce Armstrong (Sydney School of Public Health), Elizabeth Milne (TICHR), Frank van Bockxmeer (University of Western Australia), Rodney Scott (University of Newcastle), Lin Fritschi (WA Institute for Medical Research), Lesley Ashton (Children’s Cancer Institute Australia (CCIA)), Nicholas de Klerk (TICHR), Caroline Bower (TICHR), Margaret Miller (Edith Cowan University), John Attia (University of Newcastle), Michelle Haber (CCIA), Murray Norris (CCIA), Judith Thompson (WA Cancer Registry), and Peter Dallas and Ursula Kees (TICHR) were the research investigators.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Telethon Institute for Child Health Research, Centre for Child Health Research, University of Western Australia, PO Box 855, West Perth, WA, 6872, Australia

    Elizabeth Milne, Kathryn R. Greenop, Nicholas H. de Klerk & Carol Bower

  2. Faculty of Health, Hunter Medical Research Institute, School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Newcastle, Newcastle, NSW, Australia

    Rodney J. Scott

  3. Hunter Area Pathology Service, HNEHealth, Newcastle, NSW, Australia

    Rodney J. Scott

  4. Children’s Cancer Institute Australia for Medical Research, Lowy Cancer Research Centre, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia

    Lesley J. Ashton

  5. Children’s Cancer Centre, Royal Children’s Hospital, Melbourne, VIC, Australia

    John A. Heath

  6. Department of Paediatrics, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, Australia

    John A. Heath

  7. Sydney School of Public Health, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia

    Bruce K. Armstrong

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  1. Elizabeth Milne
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  2. Kathryn R. Greenop
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  3. Rodney J. Scott
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  4. Nicholas H. de Klerk
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  5. Carol Bower
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  6. Lesley J. Ashton
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  7. John A. Heath
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  8. Bruce K. Armstrong
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Correspondence to Elizabeth Milne.

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Milne, E., Greenop, K.R., Scott, R.J. et al. Parental alcohol consumption and risk of childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia and brain tumors. Cancer Causes Control 24, 391–402 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10552-012-0125-5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10552-012-0125-5

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