Cancer in the offspring of female radiation workers: a record linkage study

• Published in: British journal of cancer Vol. 100; no. 1; pp. 213 - 218
• Main Authors: Bunch, K J, Muirhead, C R, Draper, G J, Hunter, N, Kendall, G M, O'Hagan, J A, Phillipson, M A, Vincent, T J, Zhang, W
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London Nature Publishing Group UK 13-01-2009; Nature Publishing Group
• Subjects: Biological and medical sciences; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Biomedicine; Cancer Research; Child; Drug Resistance; Employment; Epidemiology; Female; Female employees; Fetus - radiation effects; Humans; Maternal Exposure - adverse effects; Medical research; Medical sciences; Molecular Medicine; Neoplasms, Radiation-Induced - etiology; Occupational Exposure - adverse effects; Oncology; Pregnancy; Radiation; Time Factors; Tumors; Womens health; Workers; United Kingdom > UK; Scotland; ionising radiation; childhood cancer; exposure; occupational exposure; preconception irradiation; Human; Malignant tumor; Occupational exposure; Radiotherapy; In utero; Progeny; Cancerology; Treatment; in utero exposure; Irradiation; Female; Worker; Child; Cancer
• ISSN: 0007-0920; 1532-1827
• DOI: 10.1038/sj.bjc.6604841

This study uses record linkage between the National Registry of Childhood Tumours (NRCT) and the National Registry for Radiation Workers to re-assess our earlier finding that the offspring of women radiation workers exposed to ionising radiation before the child's conception may be at an increased risk of childhood cancer. An additional 16 964 childhood cancer patients taken from the NRCT, together with the same number of matched controls, are included. Pooled analyses, based on the new and original datasets, include 52 612 cases and their matched controls. Relative risks (RRs) for maternal employment as a radiation worker, maternal exposure or not during the relevant pregnancy and pattern of employment relative to conception and diagnosis dates were calculated.
The new data provide no evidence of an increased risk of childhood cancer associated with maternal preconception radiation work and thus do not support our earlier finding of a raised risk in the offspring of female radiation workers. Considering the pooled data, a weak association was found between maternal radiation work during pregnancy and childhood cancer in offspring although the evidence is limited by the small numbers of linked cases and controls.