Abstract
Objective: To evaluate the role of parental occupations in the etiology of childhood brain tumors (CBT).
Methods: Population-based case–control studies were conducted concurrently in seven countries under the coordination of the International Agency for Research on Cancer, gathering 1218 cases and 2223 controls. We report here the findings related to parental occupations during the 5-year period before the child's birth. Risk estimates related to a number of paternal and maternal occupations were obtained by unconditional logistic regression adjusted for age, sex, year of birth, and center, for all types of CBT combined and for the subgroups of astroglial, primitive neuroectodermal tumors (PNET), and other glial tumors.
Results: An increased risk in relation with agricultural work was seen for all CBT combined and for other glial tumors. Increased risks for all tumors and PNET were seen for paternal occupation as an electrician; the same pattern held for maternal occupation when children under 5 were selected. Paternal occupation as a driver or mechanic, and maternal work in an environment related to motor-vehicles were associated with an increased risk for all CBT and astroglial tumors. More case mothers compared to control mothers were employed in the textile industry.
Conclusion: Our study reinforces previous findings relative to the role of parental work in agriculture, electricity, or motor-vehicle related occupations and maternal work in the textile industry. It does not confirm previous associations with work environments including aerospace, the chemical industry, or the food industry, or with maternal occupation as a hairdresser, a nurse, or a sewing machinist, and paternal occupation as a welder.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Napalkov MP, Rice JM, Tomatis L, Yamasaki H (1989) Perinatal and Multigeneration Carcinogenesis. Lyon: IARC Scientific Publication no. 96.
Doll R, Wakeford R (1997) Risk of childhood cancer from fetal irradiation. Br J Radiol 70: 130–139.
Little J (1999) Epidemiology of Childhood Cancer. Lyon: IARC Scientific Publication no. 149.
Fabia J, Thuy TD (1974). Occupation of father at time of birth of children dying of malignant diseases. Br J Prev Soc Med 28: 98–100.
Wilkins JR, Koutras RA (1988) Paternal occupation and brain cancer in offspring: a mortality-based case-control study. Am J Indust Med 14: 299–318.
Olsen JH, De Nully Brown P, Schulgen G, et al. (1991) Parental employment at time of conception and risk of cancer in offspring. Eur J Cancer 27: 958–965.
Hemminki K, Salionemi I, Salonen T, et al. (1981) Childhood cancer and parental occupation in Finland. J Epidemiol Commun Health 35: 11–15.
Wilkins JR, Sinks T (1990) Parental occupation and intracranial neoplasms of childhood: results of a case-control interview study. Am J Epidemiol 132: 275–292.
Peters JM, Preston-Martin S, Yu MC (1981) Brain tumors in children and occupational exposure of parents. Science 213: 235–237.
Hakulinen T, Salonen T, Teppo L (1976) Cancer in the offspring of fathers in hydrocarbon-related occupations. Br J Prev Soc Med 30: 138–140.
Zack M, Cannon S, Loyd D, et al. (1980) Cancer in children of parents exposed to hydrocarbon-related industries and occupations. Am J Epidemiol 111: 329–336.
Gold EB, Diener MD, Szklo M (1982) Parental occupations and cancer in children. J Occup Med 24: 578–584.
Kristensen P, Andersen A, Irgens LM, et al. (1996) Cancer in offspring of parents engaged in agricultural activities in Norway: incidence and risk factors in the farm environment. Int J Cancer 65: 39–50.
Olshan AF, Breslow NE, Daling JR, Weiss NS, Leviton A (1986) Childhood brain tumors and paternal occupation in the aerospace industry. J Natl Cancer Inst 77: 17–19.
Johnson CC, Annegers JF, Frankowski RF, et al. (1987) Childhood nervous system tumors — an evaluation of the association of paternal occupational exposure to hydrocarbons. Am J Epidemiol 126: 605–613.
Nasca PC, Baptiste MS, McCubbin PA, et al. (1988) An epidemiologic case-control study of central nervous system tumors in children and parental occupational exposures. Am J Epidemiol 128: 1256–1265.
Johnson CC, Spitz MR (1989) Chidhood nervous system tumors: an assessment of risk associated with paternal occupations involving use, repair or manufacture of electrical and electronic equipment. Int J Epidemiol 18: 756–762.
Kuijten RR, Bunin GR, Nass CC, et al. (1992) Parental occupation and childhood astrocytoma: results of a case-control study. Cancer Res 52: 782–786.
Kristensen P, Andersen A (1992) A cohort study on cancer incidence in offspring of male printing workers. Epidemiology 3: 6–10.
Sorahan T, Hamilton L, Gardiner K, Hodason JT, Harrington JM (1999) Maternal occupational exposure to electromagnetic fields before, during and after pregnancy in relation to risks of childhood cancer: findings from the Oxford Survey of childhood cancers 1953–1981 deaths. Am J Indust Med 35: 348–357.
Wilkins JR, Wellage LC (1996) Brain tumor risk in offspring of men occupationally exposed to electric and magnetic fields. Scand J Work Environ Health 22: 339–345.
Cordier S, Lefeuvre B, Filippini G, et al. (1997) Parental occupation, occupational exposure to solvents and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and risk of chilhood brain tumors (Italy, France, Spain). Cancer Causes Control 8: 688–697.
Holly EA, Bracci PM, Mueller BA, Preston-Martin S (1998) Farm and animal exposures and pediatric brain tumors: results from the United States West Coast childhood brain tumor study. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 7: 797–802.
McKean-Cowdin R, Preston-Martin S, Pogoda JM, Holly EA, Mueller BA, Davis RL (1998) Parental occupation and childhood brain tumors: astroglial and primitive neuroectodermal tumors. J Occup Med 40: 332–340.
Preston-Martin S, Pogoda JM, Mueller BA, et al. (1998) Results of an international case-control study of childhood brain tumors: the role of prenatal vitamin supplementation. Environ Health Perspect 106: 887–892.
McCredie M, Little J, Cotton S, et al. (1999) SEARCH international case-control study of childhood brain tumours: role of index pregnancy and birth, and mother's reproductive history. Paediatr Perinat Epidemiol 13: 325–341.
Filippini G, Farinotti M, Lovicu G, Maisonneuve P, Boyle P (1994) Mother's active and passive smoking during pregnancy and risk of brain tumors in children. Int J Cancer 57: 769–774.
Cordier S, Iglesias M-J, Le Goaster C, Guyot MM, Mandereau L, Hémon D (1994) Incidence and risk factors for childhood brain tumors in the Ile de France. Int J Cancer 59: 776–782.
Peris-Bonet R, Abad Garcia F, Melchor Alos I, Guallar Ballester E, Garcia Medina A (1996) Childhood cancer incidence registration in the province of Valencia, Spain 1983–1990. J Epidemiol Biostat 1: 107–113.
McCredie M, Maisonneuve P, Boyle P (1994) Antenatal risk factors for malignant brain tumours in New South Wales children. Int J Cancer 56: 6–10.
United Nations (1971) International Standard Industrial Classification of All Economic Activities (ISIC). New York: United Nations.
International Labor Office (1968) International Standard Classification of Occupations (ISCO). Geneva: International Labor Office.
Feychting M, Floderus B, Ahlbom A (2000) Parental occupational exposure to magnetic fields and childhood cancer (Sweden). Cancer Causes Control 11: 151–156.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Additional information
(deceased)
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Cordier, S., Mandereau, L., Preston-Martin, S. et al. Parental occupations and childhood brain tumors: results of an international case–control study. Cancer Causes Control 12, 865–874 (2001). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1012277703631
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1012277703631