Mortality of parents of children with cancer: A population-based study in Turin, Italy

Aims and background: A cohort study was conducted in order to measure cause -specific mortality among parents of children recorded in the Childhood Can cer Registry of Piedmont. It is the first study carried out on the subject in southern Europe. Methods and study design: The study comprised the 740 children resident in Turin and in whom a cancer had been diagnosed in the period 1967-1991. Nomi nal data were obtained for 723 fathers and 733 mothers. At the end of the f ollow-up in 1995, 645 fathers were alive, 68 dead and 10 untraceable. Corre sponding figures for mothers were 700, 28 and 5. Cause of death was known f or 91 of 96 parents. Results: The period of observation of parents started on the birth of the i ndex child, however mortality analyses were restricted to the period after 1965 because of limited availability of local reference rates. Total mortal ity was lower than expected among fathers (66 observed deaths vs 88.2 expec ted, P <0.05) and mothers (28 vs 31.4), fathers showed deficits (not statis tically significant) of lung neoplasms (4 vs 9.9), cardiovascular diseases (18 vs 27.1) and hepatic cirrhosis (2 vs 6.6). No statistically significant Variations in mortality were observed with time from diagnosis or accordin g to life status of the children. No cancer deaths occurred among the mothe rs of sarcoma cases whereas 1.9 were expected, Conclusions: The data do not indicate any increase in mortality from cancer or other causes and, on the contrary, show a reduction in mortality which was more evident for the causes related to life style.