Obstetric history and birth characteristics and Wilms Tumor: A report from the Children’s Onocolgy Group

Previous epidemiologic studies have suggested that various pregnancy and birth characteristics may be associated with Wilms tumor, a childhood kidney tumor. We evaluated obstetric events and birth characteristics in relation to Wilms tumor using data from a large North American case-control study. Mothers of 521 children with Wilms tumor and 517 controls, frequency matched on child’s age and geographic region, provided information about their labor and delivery history and their children’s birth characteristics through detailed computer assisted telephone interviews. Most obstetric factors were not associated with Wilms tumor, but modest associations were observed for labor induction (OR:1.4, 95% Confidence Interval (CI): 1.1,1.8), prenatal vaginal infection (OR: 1.8, 95% CI:1.2,2.8), and upper respiratory infection (OR: 1.5, 95% CI: 1.0,2.4). Low (4500g) birth weight and preterm delivery (<37 weeks completed gestation) were associated with an elevated risk of Wilms tumor, as was neonatal respiratory problems. The association for high birth weight was present only among children with perilobar nephrogenic rests (OR: 2.1, 95% CI: 1.2,3.9), possibly distinguishing a specific association among a biologically distinct subgroup of Wilms tumor cases. The results of this large study did not support many of the earlier findings of smaller studies. However, additional investigations of the effects of certain obstetric and birth characteristics among more refined tumor subgroups may further our understanding of these factors in relation to Wilms tumor

Parental diet and risk of retinoblastoma resulting from new germline RB1 mutation

We conducted a case–control study of sporadic bilateral retinoblastoma, which results from a new germline RB1 mutation, to investigate the role of parents\u27 diet before their child\u27s conception. Parents of 206 cases from nine North American institutions and 269 controls participated; of these, fathers of 184 cases and 223 controls and mothers of 204 cases and 260 controls answered a food frequency questionnaire administered by phone about their diet in the year before the child\u27s conception. Cases provided DNA for RB1 mutation testing. We assessed parents\u27 diet by examining 19 food groups. Father\u27s intake of dairy products and fruit was associated with decreased risk and cured meats and sweets with increased risk. Mother\u27s intake was not associated with disease for any food group. Considering analyses adjusted for the other food groups significantly associated with disease, energy intake, and demographic characteristics as well as more fully adjusted models, the associations with father\u27s dairy products and cured meat intake were the most robust. In the fully adjusted, matched analysis, the odds ratios per daily serving were 0.70 (95% confidence interval (CI) 0.49–1.00, P = 0.047) for dairy products and 5.05 (CI 1.46–17.51, P = 0.01) for cured meat. The pattern of associations with paternal but not maternal diet is consistent with the fact that 85% of new germline RB1 mutations occur on the father\u27s allele. As few human data exist on the role of diet in any condition resulting from new germ-cell mutation, additional studies will be needed to replicate or refute our findings. Environ. Mol. Mutagen

Reproducibility of Reported Nutrient Intake and Supplement Use During A Past Pregnancy: A Report From the Children’s Oncology Group

Maternal diet and nutrition have been thought to play a role in many childhood conditions. Studies using food frequency questionnaires (FFQ) have reported associations with maternal diet, but these findings are difficult to interpret because the reliability and validity of the FFQs for diet during a past pregnancy are not known. We determined the reproducibility of reported diet and supplement use during a past pregnancy in a subset of mothers interviewed for a case–control study of maternal diet in relation to the risk of childhood brain tumours. Cases were Children’s Oncology Group patients, diagnosed at age code, race/ethnicity, and birth date matched controls were selected by random-digit-dialling. Case and control mothers completed a modified Willett FFQ a mean of 5 years after the index child’s birth.A mean of 3.6 months later, a subset of mothers consisting of 52 case and 51 control mothers repeated the interview; these comprise the reproducibility study population. The mean intra-class correlation was 0.59 (range 0.41, 0.69) for energy-adjusted nutrients from dietary sources only; it was 0.41 (range 0.06, 0.70) when supplements were included. Agreement for reporting multivitamin use during pregnancy by time period and pattern was good to very good (kappa = 0.66–0.85). Overall, the reproducibility of nutrient estimates and supplement use in pregnancy was good and similar to that reported for adult diet

Residential Pesticide Exposures in Pregnancy and the Risk of Sporadic Retinoblastoma: A Report From the Children's Oncology Group.

PurposeTo examine whether parental pesticide exposure contributes to the development of sporadic retinoblastoma.DesignCase-control study.MethodsData were collected by a large multicenter study of sporadic retinoblastoma in which parents of 99 unilateral and 56 bilateral age-matched case-control pairs were interviewed by telephone. Retrospective exposure information was collected on the type, location, timing, and frequency of residential pesticide use. We used conditional logistic regression analyses to estimate odds ratios for maternal pesticide exposure in the month before or during pregnancy and to assess whether the type of product, and the circumstances under which it was applied, were associated with risk of disease.ResultsUnilateral retinoblastoma was associated with parental insecticide use (odds ratio [OR], 2.8; confidence interval [CI], 1.1-6.7) and the use of professional lawn or landscape services (OR, 2.8; CI, 1.0-8.2). For bilateral disease we observed large point estimates for several exposures but the small number of cases rendered these results uninformative (ie, resulted in wide confidence intervals). Whether parents used the pesticide inside vs outside the home did not appear to modify risk estimates for unilateral retinoblastoma (OR, 2.5; CI, 0.9-7.0 vs&nbsp;OR, 2.5; CI, 1.0-6.5), nor did the type, frequency, timing related to pregnancy, or applicator of pesticide&nbsp;used influence estimates to an appreciable degree for disease.ConclusionsOur results suggest that parental pesticide exposure before or during pregnancy may play a role in the development of childhood retinoblastoma. Retrospectively collected exposure data introduces the possibility of recall bias; therefore, results should be&nbsp;interpreted cautiously until additional studies are conducted

Maternal diet during pregnancy and unilateral retinoblastoma.

PurposePrevious studies have suggested a role for parental diet in childhood cancer prevention, but there are few studies of retinoblastoma. The aim of this study was to examine the relation between maternal diet and unilateral retinoblastoma.MethodsA case-control study of 163 unilateral RB cases and 136 controls ascertained information on maternal diet during pregnancy using a standardized food frequency questionnaire. Logistic regression was used to assess the relation between retinoblastoma and food groups and dietary patterns.ResultsWe observed a negative association between retinoblastoma and intake of fruit [odds ratio (OR) 0.38, 95&nbsp;% confidence interval (CI) 0.14-1.02]. Positive associations were seen with intake of cured meats (OR 5.07, 95&nbsp;% CI 1.63-15.70) and fried foods (OR 4.89, 95&nbsp;% CI 1.72-13.89). A food pattern of high fruits and vegetables and low fried food and sweets was negatively associated with disease (OR 0.75, 95&nbsp;% CI 0.61-0.92).ConclusionOur study provides preliminary evidence that mothers who consume diets higher in fruit and lower in fried foods and cured meats during pregnancy may reduce the risk of unilateral retinoblastoma in their offspring

Maternal diet during pregnancy and unilateral retinoblastoma.

PurposePrevious studies have suggested a role for parental diet in childhood cancer prevention, but there are few studies of retinoblastoma. The aim of this study was to examine the relation between maternal diet and unilateral retinoblastoma.MethodsA case-control study of 163 unilateral RB cases and 136 controls ascertained information on maternal diet during pregnancy using a standardized food frequency questionnaire. Logistic regression was used to assess the relation between retinoblastoma and food groups and dietary patterns.ResultsWe observed a negative association between retinoblastoma and intake of fruit [odds ratio (OR) 0.38, 95&nbsp;% confidence interval (CI) 0.14-1.02]. Positive associations were seen with intake of cured meats (OR 5.07, 95&nbsp;% CI 1.63-15.70) and fried foods (OR 4.89, 95&nbsp;% CI 1.72-13.89). A food pattern of high fruits and vegetables and low fried food and sweets was negatively associated with disease (OR 0.75, 95&nbsp;% CI 0.61-0.92).ConclusionOur study provides preliminary evidence that mothers who consume diets higher in fruit and lower in fried foods and cured meats during pregnancy may reduce the risk of unilateral retinoblastoma in their offspring

Residential Pesticide Exposures in Pregnancy and the Risk of Sporadic Retinoblastoma: A Report From the Children's Oncology Group.

PurposeTo examine whether parental pesticide exposure contributes to the development of sporadic retinoblastoma.DesignCase-control study.MethodsData were collected by a large multicenter study of sporadic retinoblastoma in which parents of 99 unilateral and 56 bilateral age-matched case-control pairs were interviewed by telephone. Retrospective exposure information was collected on the type, location, timing, and frequency of residential pesticide use. We used conditional logistic regression analyses to estimate odds ratios for maternal pesticide exposure in the month before or during pregnancy and to assess whether the type of product, and the circumstances under which it was applied, were associated with risk of disease.ResultsUnilateral retinoblastoma was associated with parental insecticide use (odds ratio [OR], 2.8; confidence interval [CI], 1.1-6.7) and the use of professional lawn or landscape services (OR, 2.8; CI, 1.0-8.2). For bilateral disease we observed large point estimates for several exposures but the small number of cases rendered these results uninformative (ie, resulted in wide confidence intervals). Whether parents used the pesticide inside vs outside the home did not appear to modify risk estimates for unilateral retinoblastoma (OR, 2.5; CI, 0.9-7.0 vs&nbsp;OR, 2.5; CI, 1.0-6.5), nor did the type, frequency, timing related to pregnancy, or applicator of pesticide&nbsp;used influence estimates to an appreciable degree for disease.ConclusionsOur results suggest that parental pesticide exposure before or during pregnancy may play a role in the development of childhood retinoblastoma. Retrospectively collected exposure data introduces the possibility of recall bias; therefore, results should be&nbsp;interpreted cautiously until additional studies are conducted