Childhood cancer and parental use of tobacco: findings from the inter-regional epidemiological study of childhood cancer (IRESCC)

Parental smoking data have been re-abstracted from the interview records of the Inter-Regional Epidemiological Study of Childhood Cancer (IRESCC) to t est further the hypothesis that paternal cigarette smoking is a risk factor for the generality of childhood cancer. Reported cigarette smoking habits for the parents of 555 children diagnosed with cancer in the period 1980-19 83 were compared, in two separate matched pairs analyses, with similar info rmation for the parents of 555 children selected from GP lists (GP controls ) and for the parents of 555 hospitalized children (hospital controls), Whe n cases were compared with GP controls there was a statistically significan t positive trend (P = 0.02) between the risk of childhood cancer and patern al daily consumption of cigarettes before the pregnancy; there was no signi ficant trend for maternal smoking habit. When cases were compared with hosp ital controls there was a statistically significant negative trend (P < 0.0 01) between the risk of childhood cancer and maternal daily consumption of cigarettes before the pregnancy; there was no significant trend for paterna l smoking habit. Neither of the significant trends could be explained by ad justment for socioeconomic grouping, ethnic origin or parental age at the b irth of the child, or by simultaneous analysis of parental smoking habits. Relations between maternal consumption of cigarettes and birth weights sugg ested that (maternal) smoking data were equally reliable for case and contr ol subjects, although comparisons with national data suggested that the hos pital control parents were unusually heavy smokers, These findings give som e support for the hypothesis that paternal cigarette smoking is a potential risk factor for the generality of childhood cancers. (C) 2001 Cancer Resea rch Campaign http://www. bjcancer.com.