Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Paternal occupational exposure to pesticides and risk of neuroblastoma among children: a meta-analysis

  • Original paper
  • Published:
Cancer Causes & Control Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Objective

Epidemiological data relating paternal pesticide exposure in occupational settings with higher risk of neuroblastoma are inconsistent. Since most studies included a small number of cases, lack of power is a potential reason for observed inconsistencies. We conducted a meta-analysis of published studies that investigated the association of paternal occupational pesticide exposure with childhood neuroblastoma.

Methods

We identified published studies up to October 2009 on paternal pesticide exposure and neuroblastoma using online databases and extracted relative risk estimates for the association. Summary relative risk estimates were calculated using the fixed effects inverse variance weighting method. To account for heterogeneity, we used Shore-corrected confidence intervals and the random effects method. Subgroup analyses were conducted according to study design, location, and exposure ascertainment method.

Results

The meta-analysis included seven case–control and two cohort studies with a combined total of 1,426 cases. Overall, between-study heterogeneity was low (p = 0.46), and the fixed effects, random effects, and Shore-adjusted confidence intervals were similar. The summary risk ratio was 1.07 (95% CI 0.79–1.46, two-sided p value = 0.65). Results of the subgroup meta-analyses were robustly null.

Conclusions

Findings from current published studies do not support an association between paternal occupational pesticide exposure and childhood neuroblastoma.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Brodeur GM, Castleberry RP (1997) Neuroblastoma. In: Pizzo PA, Poplack DG (eds) Principles and practice of pediatric oncology. Lippincott-Raven, Philadelphia, pp 761–797

    Google Scholar 

  2. Jaffe N (1976) Neuroblastoma: review of the literature and an examination of factors contributing to its enigmatic character. Cancer Treat Rev 3(2):61–82

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. Maris JM, Hogarty MD, Bagatell R, Cohn SL (2007) Neuroblastoma. Lancet 369(9579):2106–2120

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. Zage PE, Kletzel M, Murray K et al (2008) Outcomes of the POG 9340/9341/9342 trials for children with high-risk neuroblastoma: a report from the Children’s Oncology Group. Pediatr Blood Cancer 51(6):747–753

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  5. Pearson AD, Pinkerton CR, Lewis IJ et al (2008) High-dose rapid and standard induction chemotherapy for patients aged over 1 year with stage 4 neuroblastoma: a randomized trial. Lancet Oncol 9(3):247–256

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. Barrette S, Bernstein ML, Leclerc JM et al (2006) Treatment complications in children diagnosed with neuroblastoma during a screening program. J Clin Oncol 24(10):1542–1545

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  7. Yamamoto K, Ohta S, Ito E et al (2002) Marginal decrease in mortality and marked increase in incidence as a result of neuroblastoma screening at 6 months of age: cohort study in seven prefectures in Japan. J Clin Oncol 20(5):1209–1214

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  8. Schilling FH, Spix C, Berthold F et al (2002) Neuroblastoma screening at one year of age. N Engl J Med 346(14):1047–1053

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  9. Schilling FH, Spix C, Berthold F et al (2003) Children may not benefit from neuroblastoma screening at 1 year of age. Updated results of the population based controlled trial in Germany. Cancer Lett 197(1–2):19–28

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. Occupational Exposures in Insecticide Application, and Some Pesticides (1991) IARC monographs on the evaluation of carcinogenic risks to humans. 53:535

  11. Blair A, Freman LB (2009) Epidemiologic studies in agricultural populations: observations and future directions. J Agromed 14(2):125–131

    Article  Google Scholar 

  12. Zahm SH, Ward MH (1998) Pesticides and childhood cancer. Environ Health Perspect 106(Suppl 3):893–908

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  13. Infante-Rivard C, Weichenthal S (2007) Pesticides and childhood cancer: an update of Zahm and Ward’s 1998 review. J Toxicol Environ Health 10(1–2):81–99

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  14. Infante PF, Newton WA (1975) Prenatal chlordane exposure and neuroblastoma. N Engl J Med 293(6):308

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  15. Infante PF, Epstein SS, Newton WA (1978) Blood dyscrasias and childhood tumors and exposure to chlordane and heptachlor. Scand J Work Environ Health 4(2):137–150

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  16. Carozza SE, Li B, Elgethun K, Whitworth R (2008) Risk of childhood cancers associated with residence in agriculturally intense areas in the United States. Environ Health Perspect 116(4):559–565

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  17. Carozza SE, Li B, Wang Q, Horel S, Cooper S (2009) Agricultural pesticides and risk of childhood cancers. Int J Hyg Environ Health 212(2):186–195

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  18. Daniels JL, Olshan AF, Teschke K et al (2001) Residential pesticide exposure and neuroblastoma. Epidemiology 12(1):20–27

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  19. Daniels JL, Olshan AF, Teschke K, Hertz-Picciotto I, Savitz DA, Blatt J (2001) Comparison of assessment methods for pesticide exposure in a case-control interview study. Am J Epidemiol 153(12):1227–1232

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  20. Michaelis J, Haaf HG, Zöllner J, Kaatsch P, Krummenauer F, Berthold F (1996) Case control study of neuroblastoma in West Germany after the chernobyl accident. Klin Padiatr 208(4):172–178

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  21. Olsen JH, Brown P, Schulgen G, Jensen OM (1991) Parental employment at time of conception and risk of cancer in offspring. Eur J Cancer 27(8):958–965

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  22. Bunin GR, Ward E, Kramer S, Rhee CA, Meadows AT (1990) Neuroblastoma and parental occupation. Am J Epidemiol 5:776–780

    Google Scholar 

  23. Flower KB, Hoppin JA, Lynch CF, Blair A, Knott C, Shore DL, Sandler DP (2004) Cancer risk and parental pesticide application in children of Agricultural Health Study participants. Environ Health Perspect 112(5):631–635

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  24. Kerr MA, Nasca PC, Mundt KA, Michalek AM, Baptiste MS, Mahoney MC (2000) Parental occupational exposures and risk of neuroblastoma: A case-control study (United States). Cancer Causes Control 11(7):635–643

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  25. Kristensen P, Andersen A, Irgens LM, Bye AS, Sundheim L (1996) Cancer in offspring of parents engaged in agricultural activities in Norway: Incidence and risk factors in the farm environment. Int J Cancer 65(1):39–50

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  26. Olshan AF, DeRoos AJ, Teschke K, Neglia JP, Stram DO, Pollock BH, Castleberry RP (1999) Neuroblastoma and parental occupation. Cancer Causes Control 10(6):539–549

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  27. Pearce MS, Hammal DM, Dorak MT, McNally RJ, Parker L (2006) Paternal occupational exposure to pesticides or herbicides as risk factors for cancer in children and young adults: a case-control study from the North of England. Arch Environ Occup Health 61(3):138–144

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  28. Schüz J, Kaletsch U, Meinert R, Kaatsch P, Spix C, Michaelis J (2001) Risk factors for neuroblastoma at different stages of disease. Results from a population-based case-control study in Germany. J Clin Epidemiol 54(7):702–709

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  29. Spitz MR, Johnson CC (1985) Neuroblastoma and paternal occupation. A case-control analysis. Am J Epidemiol 121(6):924–929

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  30. Wilkins JR, Hundley VD (1990) Paternal occupational exposure to electromagnetic fields and neuroblastoma in offspring. Am J Epidemiol 131(6):995–1008

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  31. Greenland S (1987) Quantitative methods in the review of epidemiologic literature. Epidemiol Rev 9:1–30

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  32. Petitti D (1994) Statistical methods in meta-analysis. In: Meta-analysis, decision analysis, and cost effective analysis: methods for quantitative synthesis in medicine. Oxford University Press, New York, pp 94–118

  33. Higgins JP, Thompson SG (2002) Quantifying heterogeneity in a meta-analysis. Stat Med 21(11):1539–1558

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  34. DerSimonian R, Laird N (1986) Meta-analysis in clinical trials. Control Clin Trials 7(3):177–188

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  35. Poole C, Greenland S (1999) Random effects meta-analysis are not always conservative. Am J Epidemiol 150(5):469–475

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  36. Shore RE, Gardner MJ, Pannett B (1993) Ethylene oxide: an assessment of the epidemiological evidence on carcinogenicity. Br J Ind Med 50(11):971–997

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  37. Begg CB, Mazumdar M (1994) Operating characteristics of a rank correlation test for publication bias. Biometrics 50(4):1088–1101

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  38. Egger M, Davey Smith G, Schneider M, Minder C (1997) Bias in meta-analysis detected by a simple, graphical test. BMJ 315(7109):629–634

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  39. StataCorp (2009) Stata statistical software: release 11. StataCorp LP, College Station

    Google Scholar 

  40. MacCarthy A, Bunch KJ, Fear NT, King JC, Vincent TJ, Murphy MF (2010) Paternal occupation and neuroblastoma: a case-control study based on cancer registry data for Great Britain 1962–1999. Br J Cancer 102(3):615–619

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  41. Teschke K, Smith JC, Olshan AF (2000) Evidence of recall bias in volunteered vs. prompted responses about occupational exposures. Am J Ind Med 38(4):385–388

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  42. Schuz J, Spector LG, Ross JA (2003) Bias in studies of parental self-reported occupational exposure and childhood cancer. Am J Epidemiol 158(7):710–716

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  43. Curwin BD, Hein MJ, Sanderson WT et al (2007) Urinary pesticide concentrations among children, mothers and fathers living in farm and non-farm households in Iowa. Ann Occup Hyg 51(1):53–65

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

The authors would like to thank Gloria Won for her assistance with searching Embase, Dr. Craig Steinmaus for providing Excel spreadsheets with which to perform analysis and for his editing of the draft of this paper, and Dr. William Jagust, Dr. Allan Smith, and Dr. Anneclaire De Roos for their editing of the draft of this paper. Amy Moore was supported by the Reproductive, Perinatal, and Pediatric Epidemiology Training Grant (T32 HD052462 from NICHD).

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Epidemiology, University of Washington, Box 357236, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA

    Amy Moore & Daniel A. Enquobahrie

  2. Center for Perinatal Studies, Swedish Medical Center, Seattle, WA, USA

    Daniel A. Enquobahrie

Authors
  1. Amy Moore
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Daniel A. Enquobahrie
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Amy Moore.

Electronic supplementary material

Below is the link to the electronic supplementary material.

Supplementary material 1 (DOCX 21 kb)

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Moore, A., Enquobahrie, D.A. Paternal occupational exposure to pesticides and risk of neuroblastoma among children: a meta-analysis. Cancer Causes Control 22, 1529–1536 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10552-011-9829-1

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10552-011-9829-1

Keywords

Search

Navigation