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Maternal Thyroid Diseases, Medication Use and Childhood Cancer Risks in Offspring: A Population-Based Cohort Study in
Chuanjie Deng1, Kosuke Inoue2, Chai Saechao3
1Department of Epidemiology, Fielding School of Public Health, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, USA.
International Journal of Cancer
|June 9, 2026
Summary
Maternal thyroid diseases, particularly goiter, may increase childhood cancer risk. However, hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidism showed no clear association, and thyroid medication use did not elevate cancer risk in offspring.
Area of Science:
- Endocrinology
- Pediatric Oncology
- Epidemiology
Background:
- Thyroid diseases are prevalent in women of reproductive age.
- Potential links between maternal thyroid conditions and offspring childhood cancer exist but require further investigation.
- Existing evidence on this association is inconsistent.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the relationship between maternal thyroid diseases and medication use and the risk of childhood cancer in offspring.
- To analyze specific thyroid conditions, including goiter, hypothyroidism, and hyperthyroidism, in relation to various childhood cancers.
- To assess the impact of maternal thyroid medication use on childhood cancer incidence.
Main Methods:
- Population-based case-control study utilizing Danish health registries (Danish Cancer Registry, National Patient Register, National Prescription Register).
- Inclusion of 2521 childhood cancer cases diagnosed between 1973 and 2016 and 63,014 matched controls.
- Conditional logistic regression analysis to estimate odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs).
Main Results:
- Maternal goiter was significantly associated with an increased risk of any childhood cancer (OR=2.08), leukemia (OR=2.18), acute lymphoblastic leukemia (OR=2.12), and lymphoma (OR=3.06).
- No significant association was found between maternal hypothyroidism or hyperthyroidism and childhood cancer, though these findings may be underpowered.
- Maternal use of thyroid medication was not associated with an increased risk of childhood cancer in offspring.
Conclusions:
- Maternal thyroid diseases, especially goiter, may be linked to a notable elevated risk of childhood cancer.
- Further research with larger sample sizes is needed to confirm the associations with hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidism.
- The study suggests a potential link between specific maternal thyroid conditions and childhood cancer risk, independent of thyroid medication use.
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