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

Abstract

Background Some largely inconsistent associations between parental occupational dust exposure and childhood cancer have been reported, with maternal exposures inadequately studied. The authors examined whether maternal or paternal occupational exposure to animal, wood, textile, or paper dust around a child's birth was associated with an increased risk of childhood cancer, both overall and by type (leukemias, lymphomas, central nervous system tumors, and other cancers). Methods In this nationwide, register‐based, case‐control study, children who were diagnosed with cancer from 1960 to 2015 were compared with up to 25 matched controls regarding maternal and paternal occupational dust exposure (9653 cases in maternal analyses and 12,521 cases in paternal analyses). Exposures were assessed using a job‐exposure matrix and occupational information from census and register data. By using conditional logistic regression models, adjusted odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were estimated. Results Neither maternal nor paternal occupational exposure to animal, wood, textile, or paper dust was associated with childhood cancer overall, leukemias, or central nervous system tumors. Maternal, but not paternal, wood dust exposure was associated with an increased risk of lymphoma (OR, 1.42; 95% CI, 1.10‐1.84), particularly non‐Hodgkin lymphoma (OR, 2.03; 95% CI, 1.21‐3.40). Conclusions The current study did not confirm the associations reported previously but is the first to suggest a link between maternal occupational exposure to wood dust around pregnancy and lymphoma in the offspring.

Leveraging football accelerometer data to quantify associations between repetitive head impacts and chronic traumatic encephalopathy in males

“…We created a PEM that quantified RHI features specific to football position and level of play, adapting the template of the job exposure matrix, which is used in the field of occupational health to retrospectively characterize exposure 46 . This involved three steps: (1) identifying published helmet accelerometer studies reporting hits per season, linear acceleration, and rotational acceleration specific to position and level of play; (2) abstracting measures of central tendency (e.g., mean or median hits per season) from each report; and (3) computing summary means of hits per season, linear acceleration, and rotational acceleration, specific to position and level of play, with each study's estimate weighted in proportion to its sample size.…”

“…In this study, we sought to update the previously published CHII with updated data. Based on the well-established use of job exposure matrices to retrospectively characterize exposure to occupational hazards among workers 46 , we similarly developed a positional exposure matrix (PEM) to retrospectively characterize exposure to RHI among former football players. The PEM was derived from published helmet sensor studies that reported findings specific to position and level of play.…”

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)

“…Nevertheless, a sensitivity analysis that included parents whose employment could not be ascertained as unexposed yielded results similar to those of the main analysis. 33 Last, an almost perfect correlation between gasoline and diesel EEF prevented us from separating risks between the two exposures or their components, except for gasoline and carbon monoxide for which no increased ORs were observed.…”

“…SWEJEM originated from the widely used Finnish matrix (FINJEM), 32 which was adapted to the Swedish occupational context and covers occupations coded in both census and LISA data. 33 SWEJEM include exposure probability and exposure level during 12 calendar periods from 1945 to 2018. 33 Exposures of interest were aliphatic/alicyclic, aromatic, and chlorinated HCS, as well as gasoline and diesel EEF.…”

“… 33 SWEJEM include exposure probability and exposure level during 12 calendar periods from 1945 to 2018. 33 Exposures of interest were aliphatic/alicyclic, aromatic, and chlorinated HCS, as well as gasoline and diesel EEF. Gasoline, benzene, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH), and carbon monoxide were assessed separately to determine agent-specific effects and allow for comparisons with previous studies.…”