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Childhood cancer and occupational radiation exposure in parents.

Publication ,  Journal Article
Hicks, N; Zack, M; Caldwell, GG; Fernbach, DJ; Falletta, JM
Published in: Cancer
April 15, 1984

To test the hypothesis that a parent's job exposure to radiation affects his or her child's risk of cancer, the authors compared this exposure during the year before the child's birth for parents of children with and without cancer. Parents of children with cancer were no more likely to have worked in occupations, industries, or combined occupations and industries with potential ionizing radiation exposure. Bone cancer and Wilms' tumor occurred more frequently among children of fathers in all industries with moderate potential ionizing radiation exposure. Children with cancer more often had fathers who were aircraft mechanics (odds ratio (OR) = infinity, one-sided 95% lower limit = 1.5; P = 0.04). Although four of these six were military aircraft mechanics, only children whose fathers had military jobs with potential ionizing radiation exposure had an increased cancer risk (OR = 2.73; P = 0.01). Four cancer types occurred more often among children of fathers in specific radiation-related occupations: rhabdomyosarcoma among children whose fathers were petroleum industry foremen; retinoblastoma among children whose fathers were radio and television repairmen; central nervous system cancers and other lymphatic cancers among children of Air Force fathers. Because numbers of case fathers are small and confidence limits are broad, the associations identified by this study need to be confirmed in other studies. Better identification and gradation of occupational exposure to radiation would increase the sensitivity to detect associations.

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Published In

Cancer

DOI

ISSN

0008-543X

Publication Date

April 15, 1984

Volume

53

Issue

8

Start / End Page

1637 / 1643

Location

United States

Related Subject Headings

  • Wilms Tumor
  • Time Factors
  • Risk
  • Rhabdomyosarcoma
  • Retinoblastoma
  • Radiation, Ionizing
  • Parents
  • Oncology & Carcinogenesis
  • Occupations
  • Nervous System Neoplasms
 

Citation

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Hicks, N., Zack, M., Caldwell, G. G., Fernbach, D. J., & Falletta, J. M. (1984). Childhood cancer and occupational radiation exposure in parents. Cancer, 53(8), 1637–1643. https://doi.org/10.1002/1097-0142(19840415)53:8<1637::aid-cncr2820530802>3.0.co;2-y
Hicks, N., M. Zack, G. G. Caldwell, D. J. Fernbach, and J. M. Falletta. “Childhood cancer and occupational radiation exposure in parents.Cancer 53, no. 8 (April 15, 1984): 1637–43. https://doi.org/10.1002/1097-0142(19840415)53:8<1637::aid-cncr2820530802>3.0.co;2-y.
Hicks N, Zack M, Caldwell GG, Fernbach DJ, Falletta JM. Childhood cancer and occupational radiation exposure in parents. Cancer. 1984 Apr 15;53(8):1637–43.
Hicks, N., et al. “Childhood cancer and occupational radiation exposure in parents.Cancer, vol. 53, no. 8, Apr. 1984, pp. 1637–43. Pubmed, doi:10.1002/1097-0142(19840415)53:8<1637::aid-cncr2820530802>3.0.co;2-y.
Hicks N, Zack M, Caldwell GG, Fernbach DJ, Falletta JM. Childhood cancer and occupational radiation exposure in parents. Cancer. 1984 Apr 15;53(8):1637–1643.
Journal cover image

Published In

Cancer

DOI

ISSN

0008-543X

Publication Date

April 15, 1984

Volume

53

Issue

8

Start / End Page

1637 / 1643

Location

United States

Related Subject Headings

  • Wilms Tumor
  • Time Factors
  • Risk
  • Rhabdomyosarcoma
  • Retinoblastoma
  • Radiation, Ionizing
  • Parents
  • Oncology & Carcinogenesis
  • Occupations
  • Nervous System Neoplasms