Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Breast-feeding and Wilms Tumor: A Report from the Children’s Oncology Group

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

Abstract

Objective

Previous research has shown that breast-feeding offers many nutritional benefits to children including protection against infection and possibly a decreased risk of childhood cancer. We investigated the association between breast-feeding and Wilms tumor, a childhood kidney tumor.

Methods

We used data from a large case-control study in the United States and Canada. Cases were children under age 16 years who were diagnosed with Wilms tumor from 1999 to 2002 and were participating in the National Wilms Tumor Study. Controls were identified by random-digit dialing and were age and region matched to cases. Mothers of 501 cases and 480 controls provided information on breast-feeding by telephone interviews.

Results

Breast-feeding was associated with a reduced risk of Wilms tumor [adjusted odds ratio (OR) = 0.7; 95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.5–0.9]. Longer duration did not provide any additional reduction in risk. When stratified by maternal education, breast-feeding lowered risk among children whose mothers had less than a college education (OR = 0.6; 95% CI = 0.4–0.8) but not for mothers who had a college degree or more (OR = 1.1; 95% CI = 0.6–1.9).

Conclusions

The results of this study are suggestive of an association between breast-feeding and Wilms tumor, but further research is needed to confirm this relationship.

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

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Ries LAG, Smith MA, Gurney JG (eds) (1999) Cancer Incidence and Survival among Children and Adolescents: United States SEER Program 1975–1995, National Cancer Institute, SEER Program. NIH Pub. No. 99-9649. Bethesda, MD

  2. Leisenring WM, Breslow NE, Evans IE et al. (1994) Increased birth weights of National Wilms’ Tumor Study patients suggest a growth factor excess. Cancer Res 54:4680–4683

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  3. Heuch JM, Heuch I, Kvale G (1996) Birth characteristics and risk of Wilms’ tumour: a nationwide prospective study in Norway. Br J Cancer 74:148–1151

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  4. Yeazel MW, Ross JA, Buckley JD et al. (1997) High birth weight and risk of specific childhood cancers: a report from the Children’s Cancer Group. J Pediatr 131:671–677

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  5. Schuz J, Kaletsch U, Meinert R et al. (2001) High birth weight and other risk factors for Wilms tumour: results of a population-based case-control study. Eur J Pediatr 160:333–338

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  6. Smulevich VB, Solionova LG, Belyakov SV (1999) Parental occupation and other factors and cancer risk in children: I. Study methodology and non-occupational factors. Int J Cancer 83:712–717

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  7. Bunin GR, Nass C, Kramer S et al. (1989) Paternal occupation and Wilms’ tumor: results of a case-control study. Cancer Res 49:725–729

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  8. Olshan AF, Breslow NE, Daling JR et al. (1990) Wilms’ tumor and paternal occupation Cancer Res 50:3212–3217

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  9. Olshan AF, Breslow NE, Falletta JM et al. (1993) Risk factors for Wilms tumor. Report from the National Wilms Tumor Study. Cancer 72:938–944

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  10. Bunin GR (2004) Nongenetic causes of childhood cancers: evidence from international variation, time trends, and risk factor studies. Toxicol Appl Pharmacol 199:91–103

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  11. Wagner CL, Anderson DM, Pittard WB (1996) Special properties of human milk. Clin Pediatr 35:283–293

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  12. Goldman AS (1993) The immune system of human milk: anti-microbial, anti-inflammatory and immunomodulating properties. Pediatr Infect Dis J 12:664–671

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  13. Beaudry M, Dufour R, Marcoux S (1995) Relation between infant feeding and infections during the first six months of life. J Pediatr 126:191–197

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  14. Villalpando S, Hamosh M (1998) Early and late effects of breast-feeding: does breast-feeding really matter? Biol Neonate 74:177–191

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  15. Pabst HF (1997) Immunomodulation by breast-feeding. Ped Infect Dis J 16:991–995

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  16. Hanson LA, Ahlstedt S, Andersson B et al. (1985) Protective factors in milk and the development of the immune system. Pediatrics 75(suppl):172–176

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  17. Davis MK (1998) Review of the evidence for an association between infant feeding and childhood cancer. Int J Cancer Suppl II:29–33

    Google Scholar 

  18. Gaull GE, Wright CE, Isaacs CE (1985) Significance of growth modulators in human milk. Pediatrics 75:142–145

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  19. Read LC, Upton FM, Francis GL et al. (1984) Changes in the growth-promoting activity of human milk during lactation. Pediatr Res 18:133–139

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  20. Donovan SM, Odle J (1994) Growth factors in milk as mediators of infant development. Annu Rev Nutr 14:147–167

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  21. Davis MK, Savitz DA, Graubard BI (1988) Infant feeding and childhood cancer. Lancet 2:365–368

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  22. Shu XO, Linet MS, Steinbuch M et al. (1999) Breast-feeding and risk of childhood acute leukemia. J Natl Cancer Inst 91:1765–1772

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  23. Infante-Rivard C, Fortier I, Olson E (2000) Markers of infection, breast-feeding and childhood acute lymphoblastic leukaemia. Br J Cancer 83:1559–1564

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  24. Bener A, Denic S, Galadari S (2001) Longer breastfeeding and protection against childhood leukaemia and lymphomas. Eur J Cancer 37:234–238

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  25. Grufferman S, Davis MK, Ambinder RF et al. (1998) A protective effect of breastfeeding on risk of Hodgkin’s disease in children. Paediatr Perinat Epidemiol 12:A13

    Google Scholar 

  26. Mathur GP, Gupta N, Mathur N et al. (1993) Breastfeeding and childhood cancer. Indian J Pediatr 30:651–657

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  27. Beral V, Fear NT, Alexander F et al. (2001) Breast feeding and childhood cancer. Br J Cancer 85:1685–1694

    Google Scholar 

  28. Daniels J, Olshan F, Pollock B et al. (2002) Breast-feeding and neuroblastoma, USA and Canada. Cancer Cause Control 13:401–405

    Article  Google Scholar 

  29. Kwan M, Buffler P, Abrams B et al. (2004) Breastfeeding and the risk of childhood leukemia: a meta-analysis. Public Health Rep 119:521–535

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  30. Kwan ML, Buffler PA, Wiemels JL et al. (2005) Breastfeeding patterns and risk of childhood acute lymphoblastic leukaemia. Br J Cancer 93:379–384

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  31. Guise JM, Austin D, Morris CD (2005) Review of case-control studies related to breastfeeding and reduced risk of childhood leukemia. Pediatrics 116:e724–e731

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  32. Rogers I, Emmett P, The ALSPAC Study Team (2003) The effect of maternal smoking status, educational level and age on food and nutrient intakes in preschool children: results from the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children. Eur J Clin Nutr 57:854–864

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  33. Ryan A, Zhou W, Acosta A (2003) Breastfeeding continues to increase into the new millennium. Pediatrics 110:1103–1109

    Google Scholar 

  34. Li R, Darling N, Maurice E et al. (2005) Breastfeeding Rates in the United States by Characteristics of the Child, Mother, or Family: The 2002 National Immunization Survey. Pediatrics 115:31–37

    Article  Google Scholar 

  35. Infante-Rivard C, Jacques L (2000) Empirical study of parental recall bias. Am J Epidemiol 152:480–486

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  36. Vobecky JS, Vobecky J, Froda S (1988) The reliability of the maternal memory in a retrospective assessment of nutritional status. J Clin Epidemiol 41:261–265

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  37. DHS Comparative Studies (1999) Breastfeeding and complementary infant feeding, and the postpartum effects of breastfeeding. Demographic and Health Surveys Comprehensive Studies No 30, Macro International Inc., Maryland, USA

Download references

Acknowledgements

We like to thank Joanna Smith for her data management support and Bobbi Benson and Pat Norkool from the NWTS DSC for assistance with protocol implementation. We wish to also thank the staff of Battelle/Centers for Public Health Research and Evaluation for data collection support. The support of participating NWTS institutions and parents is gratefully acknowledged.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Epidemiology, University of North Carolina, CB#7435, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599-7435, USA

    Stephanie Saddlemire, Andrew F. Olshan & Julie L. Daniels

  2. Department of Biostatistics, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, 98195-7232, USA

    Norman E. Breslow

  3. Division of Oncology, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA

    Greta R. Bunin

  4. Department of Pediatrics, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, 55455, USA

    Julie A. Ross

Authors
  1. Stephanie Saddlemire
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Andrew F. Olshan
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Julie L. Daniels
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Norman E. Breslow
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Greta R. Bunin
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. Julie A. Ross
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Andrew F. Olshan.

Additional information

Supported in part by NCI R01CA75385 and by a grant from the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (P30ES10126).

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Saddlemire, S., Olshan, A.F., Daniels, J.L. et al. Breast-feeding and Wilms Tumor: A Report from the Children’s Oncology Group. Cancer Causes Control 17, 687–693 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10552-005-0508-y

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10552-005-0508-y

Keywords

Search

Navigation