Authors:
Neale RE, Stiller CA, Bunch KJ, Milne E, Mineau GP, Murphy MF
Authors notes:
International Journal of Cancer. 2013:online
Keywords:
Adult, Age, Cancer, Child, Familial risk
Abstract:
A small proportion of childhood cancer is attributable to known hereditary syndromes, but whether there is any familial component to the remainder remains uncertain.
We explored familial aggregation of cancer in a population-based case-control study using genealogical record linkage and designed to overcome limitations of previous studies.
Relatives of children with cancer had a higher risk of cancer in adulthood than relatives of children without cancer; this was restricted to mothers and siblings and was not evident in fathers.
Familial aggregation appeared stronger among relatives of cases diagnosed before 5 years of age than among relatives of cases who were older when diagnosed.
These findings provide evidence of a generalized excess of cancer in the mothers and siblings of children with cancer.
The tendency for risk to be higher in the relatives of children who were younger at cancer diagnosis should be investigated in other large data sets.
The excesses of thyroid cancer in parents of children with cancer and of any cancer in relatives of children with leukemia merit further investigation.