Birth Size Characteristics and Risk of Brain Tumors in Early Adulthood: Results from a Swedish Cohort Study

Abstract

Background: Despite extensive research on the effect of birth size characteristics on childhood brain tumors, very few studies have evaluated the effect of birth size characteristics on the risk of adult brain tumor, and they have provided inconsistent results.Methods: All individuals born in Sweden between 1973 and 1995 who were still alive and cancer free at their 15th birthday were included in the study (n ¼ 2,032,727). At the end of the study period (December 31, 2010), the study participants were 15 to 37 years old. Incident cases of primary brain tumors were identified through the Swedish Cancer Register.Results: No association was observed between any birth size characteristics and glioma, although an indication of increased glioma risk associated with high birth weight, or being large for gestational age at birth, was found among men [relative risk

Birth size and cancer prognosis: a systematic review and meta-analysis

“…In addition, significant association of birth weight with prostate cancer risk compared to breast cancer risk in our results supports this statement. 6 Although multiple studies have shown associations between head circumference and the risk of brain, breast and colorectal cancer incidence, 23,24 we did not find any study assessing the association with cancer survival.…”

The Association Between High Birth Weight and Long-Term Outcomes—Implications for Assisted Reproductive Technologies: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

“…A meta-analysis of medium quality (46) found for neuroblastoma, an OR of 1.19 (95% CI 1.04-1.36) for birth weight >4,000 g compared with <4,000 g. The SR/meta-analysis (high quality) by Georgakis and co-workers in 2017 (47) reporting on all CNS tumors, found an OR of 1.14 (95% CI 1.08-1.20) for high birth weight and an OR of 1.12 (95% CI 1.03-1.22) for LGA. Two cohort studies, both with low risk of bias, found an association between high birth weight and CNS tumors (48,49), while one cohort study, with low risk of bias, found no association between LGA and CNS tumors (50). Nine out of 14 case-control studies had moderate risk of bias, where three studies (45,51,52) found an association between birth weight >4,000 g and CNS tumors, while six case-control studies, with moderate risk of bias, and one cross-sectional study (53) found no association.…”

The contribution of meta-analytical methodology to the investigation of primary central nervous system tumors

“…Four studies examined the association of birth weight with risk of an adult CNS tumor [238,239,251,273]. Increasing birth weight (500 g-increment) was not associated with either overall CNS tumor risk (2 studies; OR: 0.99, 95%CI: 0.98-1.00; 1,091 cases) or glioma risk (3 studies; OR: 1.03, 95%CI: 0.98-1.07; 2,052 cases).…”

“…Increasing birth weight (500 g-increment) was not associated with either overall CNS tumor risk (2 studies; OR: 0.99, 95%CI: 0.98-1.00; 1,091 cases) or glioma risk (3 studies; OR: 1.03, 95%CI: 0.98-1.07; 2,052 cases). Interestingly though, 2 studies [251,273] stratifying analyses by sex, reported male-restricted statistically significant associations of high birth weight with glioma.…”

“…The lack of associations for adult tumors could be attributed to the longer interval between birth and the outcome making the association subject to confounders. Nevertheless, the potential malespecific association of high birth weight with glioma risk identified in 2 studies merits further consideration [251,273], as a stronger association of high BMI with adult glioma for males has also been described [406].…”