Abstract
BackgroundIn the prospective population-based Norwegian Mother and Child Cohort Study (MoBa), comprising 113 754 offspring, we investigated the association between parental exposure to “gasoline or exhaust”, as a proxy for benzene exposure, and childhood leukaemia.MethodsAround gestational week 17, mothers and fathers responded to a questionnaire on exposure to various agents during the last 6 months and 6 months pre-conception, respectively. Benzene exposure was assessed through self-reported exposure to “gasoline or exhaust”. Cases of childhood leukaemia (n = 70) were identified through linkage with the Cancer Registry of Norway. Risk was estimated by hazard ratios (HRs) with 95% confidence intervals (95%CI), comparing offspring from exposed and unexposed parents using a Cox regression model.ResultsMaternal exposure to "gasoline or exhaust" was associated with an increased risk of childhood leukaemia (HR = 2.59; 95%CI: 1.03, 6.48) and acute lymphatic leukaemia (HR = 2.71; 95%CI: 0.97, 7.58). There was an increasing risk for higher exposure (p value for trend = 0.032 and 0.027). The association did not change after adjustment for maternal smoking.ConclusionIn spite of rather few cases, the findings in this prospective study, with the exposure metric defined a priori, support previous observations relating maternal exposure to benzene from gasoline and other petroleum-derived sources and the subsequent development of childhood leukaemia in the offspring.
Highlights
Over the last two decades, childhood cancer incidence globally has increased by 13%.1 Of these, leukaemia is the most common, in Norway representing 30% of all cancer cases in 2012–2016 in the age group 0–14 years, with incidence rates per 100 000 person-years of 5.1 and 4.3 for males and females, respectively.[2]Acute lymphocytic leukaemia (ALL) accounts for as much as 85% of all acute childhood leukaemia cases.[3]
The risk for ALL was in excess for paternal exposure to “gasoline and exhaust” during the 6 months prior to conception, but only statistically significant in the lowest exposed group (HR: 2.60; 95% confidence intervals (95% CI): 1.07, 6.32)
We found that children born to mothers who reported exposure to “gasoline or exhaust”, a known source of benzene exposure, during the six months prior to pregnancy week 17 had a subsequent excess risk of leukemia and ALL
Summary
Over the last two decades, childhood cancer incidence globally has increased by 13%.1 Of these, leukaemia is the most common, in Norway representing 30% of all cancer cases in 2012–2016 in the age group 0–14 years, with incidence rates per 100 000 person-years of 5.1 and 4.3 for males and females, respectively.[2]Acute lymphocytic leukaemia (ALL) accounts for as much as 85% of all acute childhood leukaemia cases.[3]. In the prospective population-based Norwegian Mother and Child Cohort Study (MoBa), comprising 113 754 offspring, we investigated the association between parental exposure to “gasoline or exhaust”, as a proxy for benzene exposure, and childhood leukaemia. RESULTS: Maternal exposure to "gasoline or exhaust" was associated with an increased risk of childhood leukaemia (HR = 2.59; 95% CI: 1.03, 6.48) and acute lymphatic leukaemia (HR = 2.71; 95%CI: 0.97, 7.58). CONCLUSION: In spite of rather few cases, the findings in this prospective study, with the exposure metric defined a priori, support previous observations relating maternal exposure to benzene from gasoline and other petroleum-derived sources and the subsequent development of childhood leukaemia in the offspring
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