Risks for Childhood Cancer

Posted: March 1, 2004

Research on what causes childhood cancer
For several decades, the National Cancer Institute (NCI) has supported national and international collaborations devoted to studying causes of cancer in children. Some of the key findings from recent studies include:

• High levels of ionizing radiation from accidents or from radiotherapy have been linked with increased risk of some childhood cancers
• Children treated with chemotherapy and radiation therapy for certain forms of childhood and adolescent cancers, such as Hodgkin’s disease, brain tumors, sarcomas, and others, may develop a second primary malignancy
• Low levels of radiation exposure from radon were not significantly associated with childhood leukemias
• Ultrasound use during pregnancy has not been linked with childhood cancer in numerous large studies
• Residential magnetic field exposure from power lines was not significantly associated with childhood leukemias
• Certain types of chemotherapy drugs, including drugs that are alkylating agents or topoisomerase II inhibitors (e.g., epipodophyllotoxins), may cause increased risk of leukemia
• Pesticides have been suspected to be involved in the development of certain forms of childhood cancer based on interview data. However, interview results have been somewhat inconsistent, and have not yet been validated by physical evidence of pesticides in the child’s body or environment
• No consistent findings have been observed linking specific occupational exposures of parents to the development of childhood cancers
• Several studies have found no link between maternal cigarette smoking before pregnancy and childhood cancers, but increased risks were related to the father’s prenatal smoking habits in studies in the United Kingdom and China
• Little evidence has been found to link specific viruses or other infectious agents to the development of most types of childhood cancers, though investigators worldwide are exploring the role of exposure of very young children to some common infectious agents that may protect children from, or put them at risk for, developing certain leukemias
• Recent research has shown that children with AIDS, like AIDS-stricken adults, have an increased risk of developing certain cancers, predominantly non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma and Kaposi’s sarcoma. These children also have an additional risk of developing leiomyosarcoma (a type of muscle cancer)
• Specific genetic syndromes, such as the Li-Fraumeni syndrome, neurofibromatosis, and several others, have been linked to an increased risk of specific childhood cancers

Source: National Cancer Institute

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