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Published on: August 7, 2017

The risk of cancer following hospitalization for infection in infancy: a population-based cohort study

Ora Paltiel1, David E Laniado, Rivlca Yanetz

  • 1School of Public Health and Community Medicine, Hadassah-Hebrew University Hospital, Jerusalem, Israel. ora@vms.huji.ac.il

Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention : a Publication of the American Association for Cancer Research, Cosponsored by the American Society of Preventive Oncology
|October 13, 2006
PubMed

Insights

Infant infections requiring hospitalization are linked to a higher risk of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma in children and young adults. This finding suggests a connection between early-life immune function and later cancer development.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Oncology
  • Infectious Diseases
  • Epidemiology

Background:

  • The association between infant infections and childhood cancer risk remains debated.
  • The Jerusalem Perinatal Study cohort, born 1964-1976, is utilized to investigate this link.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To determine if hospitalization for infection in the first year of life influences the risk of developing cancer later in childhood or young adulthood.

Main Methods:

  • A population-based cohort of 24,554 infants was established.
  • Hospital admission data from the first year of life was linked to cancer registries.
  • Cox proportional hazards models were employed to analyze cancer incidence rates, adjusting for potential confounders.

Main Results:

  • Over a median follow-up of 36 years, 283 cancers were diagnosed.
  • Hospitalization for infection was not associated with overall cancer risk.
  • A significantly increased risk of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma was observed in infants hospitalized for infection (RR, 3.46; 95% CI, 1.38-8.68), even after adjustments.

Conclusions:

  • Infant hospitalization for infection is associated with an elevated risk of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.
  • This association may be explained by underlying mild immunodeficiencies predisposing to lymphoma.
  • Improved infant survival may contribute to the observed increase in non-Hodgkin's lymphoma incidence over recent decades.
Abstract

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