Case–control study of paternal occupational exposures and childhood bone tumours and soft-tissue sarcomas in Great Britain, 1962–2010

Abstract

Background This nationwide study investigated associations between paternal occupational exposure and childhood bone tumours and soft- tissue sarcomas. Methods The UK National Registry of Childhood Tumours provided cases of childhood sarcomas born and diagnosed in Great Britain, 1962–2010. Control births, unaffected by childhood cancer, were matched on sex, birth period and birth registration sub-district. Fathers’ occupations were assigned to one or more of 33 exposure groups and coded for occupational social class. Results We analysed 5,369 childhood sarcoma cases and 5380 controls. Total bone tumours, total soft-tissue sarcomas and the subgroups osteosarcoma, rhabdomyosarcoma and Ewing Sarcoma Family of Tumours (ESFT) were considered separately. Significant positive associations were seen between rhabdomyosarcoma and paternal exposure to EMFs (odds ratio = 1.67, CI = 1.22–2.28) and also for ESFT and textile dust (1.93, 1.01–3.63). There were putative protective effects on total bone tumours of paternal dermal exposure to hydrocarbons, metal, metal working or oil mists. Conclusions Despite the large size and freedom from bias of this study, our results should be interpreted with caution. Many significance tests were undertaken, and chance findings are to be expected. Nevertheless, our finding of associations between ESFT and paternal exposure to textile dust may support related suggestions in the literature.

Risk of Cancer in Children of Parents Occupationally Exposed to Hydrocarbon Solvents and Engine Exhaust Fumes: A Register-Based Nested Case–Control Study from Sweden (1960–2015)

“…have recently reported higher risks of rhabdomyosarcoma (and marginally higher for total tissue sarcomas) in children of fathers exposed to EEF in the United Kingdom. 39 …”

Pediatric Rhabdomyosarcoma: Epidemiology and Genetic Susceptibility

“…The risk of RMS was greatest for X-ray exposure in the first trimester, with a 5.7-fold increase (95% CI = 1.2–27.8), and specifically, for the association of X-ray exposure in the first trimester and ERMS (OR = 10.5, 95% CI = 1.5–458.4) [ 34 ]. Additionally, a recent study that examined 1923 RMS cases from the U.K. National Registry of Childhood Tumors found that paternal occupational exposure to electromagnetic fields was associated with RMS risk in the fathers’ children (OR = 1.67, 95% CI = 1.22–2.28) [ 37 ]. However, these associations have yet to be replicated.…”

Childhood cancer risk in offspring of parents occupationally exposed to dusts: A register‐based nested case‐control study from Sweden of 5 decades

“…Maternal exposure to wood dust was associated with a higher risk of leukemia, and paper and animal dusts were associated with a higher risk of CNS tumors in 2 Danish studies, 6,7 but not in a pooled analysis of international cohorts. 8 Similarly, some studies reported associations between paternal exposure to animal and other organic dusts and leukemias and CNS tumors, [6][7][8][9][10][11] but those results were not replicated by others. 6,8 The small number of exposed cases and the Cancer April 15, 2022 differences in exposure ascertainment methods are some of the factors that might explain the discordance among previous findings.…”