Volume 135, Issue 9 pp. 2157-2172
Epidemiology

Parental occupational pesticide exposure and the risk of childhood leukemia in the offspring: Findings from the childhood leukemia international consortium

Helen D. Bailey

Corresponding Author

Helen D. Bailey

International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), Section of Environment and Radiation, 150 Cours Albert Thomas, Lyon Cedex 08, France

Correspondence to: Helen Bailey, Section of Environment and Radiation, International Agency for Research on Cancer, 150 cours Albert Thomas, Lyon 69372 Cedex 08, France, Tel.: +33-4-72-73-8310, Fax: +33-4-72-73-8320, E-mail: [email protected]Search for more papers by this author
Lin Fritschi

Lin Fritschi

Curtin University, School of Public Health, Perth, Australia

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Claire Infante-Rivard

Claire Infante-Rivard

Department of Epidemiology, Biostatistics and Occupational Health, Faculty of Medicine, McGill University, Quebec, Canada

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Deborah C. Glass

Deborah C. Glass

Department of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia

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Lucia Miligi

Lucia Miligi

ISPO-Cancer Prevention and Research Institute, Occupational and Environmental Epidemiology Unit, Florence, Italy

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John D. Dockerty

John D. Dockerty

Dean's Department and Department of Preventive and Social Medicine, Dunedin School of Medicine, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand

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Tracy Lightfoot

Tracy Lightfoot

Department of Health Sciences, University of York, York, United Kingdom

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Jacqueline Clavel

Jacqueline Clavel

Inserm, CESP Centre for Research in Epidemiology and Population Health, Environmental Epidemiology of Cancer Team, Université Paris-Sud, Paris, France

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Eve Roman

Eve Roman

Department of Health Sciences, University of York, York, United Kingdom

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Logan G. Spector

Logan G. Spector

Division of Epidemiology Clinical Research, Department of Pediatrics and Masonic Cancer Center, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN

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Peter Kaatsch

Peter Kaatsch

German Childhood Cancer Registry (GCCR) at the Institute for Medical Biostatistics, Epidemiology and Informatics, University Medical Centre, Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Mainz, Germany

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Catherine Metayer

Catherine Metayer

University of California, Berkeley, School of Public Health, Berkeley, CA

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Corrado Magnani

Corrado Magnani

Dipartimento di Medicina Traslazionale—Università del Piemonte Orientale, AOU Maggiore della Carità e CPO—Piemonte, Novara, Italy

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Elizabeth Milne

Elizabeth Milne

Telethon Kids Institute, the University of Western Australia, Perth, Australia

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Sophia Polychronopoulou

Sophia Polychronopoulou

Department of Pediatric Hematology–Oncology, Athens University Medical School, “Aghia Sophia” General Children's Hospital, Athens, Greece

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Jill Simpson

Jill Simpson

Department of Health Sciences, University of York, York, United Kingdom

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Jérémie Rudant

Jérémie Rudant

Inserm, CESP Centre for Research in Epidemiology and Population Health, Environmental Epidemiology of Cancer Team, Université Paris-Sud, Paris, France

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Vasiliki Sidi

Vasiliki Sidi

Department of Pediatric Hematology–Oncology, Ippokrateion Hospital, Salonica, Greece

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Roberto Rondelli

Roberto Rondelli

Department of Paediatric Haematology–Oncology, Lalla Seràgnoli, Policlinico Sant'Orsola Malpighi, Bologna, Italy

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Laurent Orsi

Laurent Orsi

Inserm, CESP Centre for Research in Epidemiology and Population Health, Environmental Epidemiology of Cancer Team, Université Paris-Sud, Paris, France

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Alice Y. Kang

Alice Y. Kang

University of California, Berkeley, School of Public Health, Berkeley, CA

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Eleni Petridou

Eleni Petridou

Department of Hygiene, Epidemiology and Medical Statistics, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Medical School, Athens, Greece

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Joachim Schüz

Joachim Schüz

International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), Section of Environment and Radiation, 150 Cours Albert Thomas, Lyon Cedex 08, France

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First published: 19 March 2014
Citations: 88

Abstract

Maternal occupational pesticide exposure during pregnancy and/or paternal occupational pesticide exposure around conception have been suggested to increase risk of leukemia in the offspring. With a view to providing insight in this area we pooled individual level data from 13 case-control studies participating in the Childhood Leukemia International Consortium (CLIC). Occupational data were harmonized to a compatible format. Pooled individual analyses were undertaken using unconditional logistic regression. Using exposure data from mothers of 8,236 cases, and 14,850 controls, and from fathers of 8,169 cases and 14,201 controls the odds ratio (OR) for maternal exposure during pregnancy and the risk of acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) was 1.01 [95% confidence interval (CI) 0.78, 1.30] and for paternal exposure around conception 1.20 (95% 1.06, 1.38). For acute myeloid leukemia (AML), the OR for maternal exposure during pregnancy was 1.94 (CI 1.19, 3.18) and for paternal exposure around conception 0.91 (CI 0.66, 1.24.) based on data from 1,329 case and 12,141 control mothers, and 1,231 case and 11,383 control fathers. Our finding of a significantly increased risk of AML in the offspring with maternal exposure to pesticides during pregnancy is consistent with previous reports. We also found a slight increase in risk of ALL with paternal exposure around conception which appeared to be more evident in children diagnosed at the age of 5 years or more and those with T cell ALL which raises interesting questions on possible mechanisms.

Abstract

What's new?

When parents are exposed to pesticides during pregnancy or conception, does this increase the risk of leukemia in their child? The answer is yes. Using pooled individual level occupational pesticide exposure data from 13 case-control studies the authors found an increased risk of acute myeloid leukemia with maternal exposure during pregnancy and a slightly increased risk of acute lymphoblastic leukemia with paternal exposure around conception. The next step is to get more detailed information on pesticide types and protective measures during application before conclusive recommendations for pesticide use in the workforce can be made.

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