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Parental Smoking and Alcohol Consumption and Risk of Neuroblastoma¹

Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599 [Q. Y., A. F. O.]; Department of Epidemiology, The University of Texas, M. D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas 77030 [M. L. B.]; Department of Pediatric Hematology-Oncology, Geisinger Medical Center, Danville, Pennsylvania 17822 [N. R. S.]; University of Florida, Pediatric Oncology Group Statistical Office and Department of Health Policy and Epidemiology, Gainesville, Florida 32610 [B. H. P.]; Children’s Hospital of Los Angeles, Children’s Cancer Group Neuroblastoma Resource Laboratory, Los Angeles, California 90027 [R. C. S.]; Dana Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA 02115 [A. T. L.]; and Children’s Memorial Hospital and Department of Pediatrics, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois 60614 [S. L. C.]

Previous studies and animal evidence have suggested a relationship between parental tobacco or alcohol use and the risk of some childhood cancers, including neuroblastoma. A case-control study was conducted to investigate the relationship between parental tobacco smoking, alcohol consumption, and risk of neuroblastoma. Cases were children diagnosed with neuroblastoma over the period 1992–1994 at Children’s Cancer Group and Pediatric Oncology Group institutions throughout the United States and Canada. One matched control was selected using random-digit dialing. Information on parental smoking and drinking history was obtained from 504 case and 504 control parents by telephone interview. Overall, there was no consistent pattern of association with parental smoking and alcohol consumption. For example, both maternal smoking and drinking during the period from 1 month before pregnancy through breastfeeding had adjusted odds ratios (ORs) of 1.1 [95% confidence interval (CI), 0.8–1.4]. There was no association with paternal smoking (OR, 1.2; 95% CI, 0.8–1.6) or paternal drinking 1 month before conception (OR, 1.0; 95% CI, 0.7–1.4). There was no consistent increase in risk by the amount of smoking or drinking during any time period relative to pregnancy. There was no suggestion of an increased risk when only one parent smoked. Smoking or drinking among both parents did not jointly increase the risk of neuroblastoma in their offspring. The child’s age at diagnosis, stage, or MYCN oncogene amplification status did not materially alter the OR estimates. It is concluded that the results from this study do not indicate any evidence for a relationship between neuroblastoma and parental tobacco or alcohol use.

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