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Risk of cancer in children with the diagnosis immaturity at birth

Lene Mellemkjaer1, Henrik Hasle, Gloria Gridley

  • 1Institute of Cancer Epidemiology, Danish Cancer Society, Copenhagen, Denmark. lene@cancer.dk

Paediatric and Perinatal Epidemiology
|April 25, 2006
PubMed

Insights

Children born prematurely do not face an increased risk of overall childhood cancer. However, a higher incidence of central nervous system tumors was observed in this group, warranting further investigation into potential causes like diagnostic X-rays.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Oncology
  • Epidemiology
  • Neonatology

Background:

  • Previous research on childhood cancer risk in preterm infants primarily used case-control designs.
  • Cohort studies assessing cancer risk in this population are rare, necessitating further investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To evaluate the risk of childhood cancer in children born prematurely using a large cohort study.
  • To investigate specific cancer types, particularly central nervous system (CNS) tumors, in this cohort.

Main Methods:

  • A cohort study of 35,178 children diagnosed with immaturity at birth between 1977-1989 was conducted.
  • Cancer incidence was tracked through the Danish Cancer Registry until 1994.
  • A nested case-control study examined CNS tumors, considering factors like diagnostic X-ray exposure.

Main Results:

  • The overall childhood cancer incidence in the preterm cohort was similar to the general population (Standardized Incidence Ratio [SIR] = 1.03).
  • A significantly higher risk was observed for central nervous system (CNS) tumors (SIR = 1.57), particularly medulloblastoma (SIR = 3.1).
  • Increased gestational age was surprisingly associated with higher CNS tumor risk in the nested case-control analysis.

Conclusions:

  • Children born prematurely are not at an elevated risk for childhood cancer overall.
  • The excess risk of CNS tumors in preterm infants requires further research to identify underlying causes.
  • The potential role of diagnostic X-rays in newborns warrants additional attention as a possible contributing factor.

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