Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Potential risk factors for brain tumors in children

An analysis of 200 cases

  • Original Papers
  • Published:
Child's Nervous System Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Two hundred cases of verified brain tumors occurring in patients under 15 years of age were studied in relation to possible etiologic, genetic, and environmental risk factors. They were compared with 100 age-matched patients harboring solid neoplasms outside the nervous system, as well as with 100 normal children. In our study, first-degree relatives of a brain tumor child did not show a higher incidence of either tumors or of epilepsy and strokes as compared with controls. First-born children (46%) with higher birth weights showed a greater tendency to present brain tumors. Dystocia (18.5%), previous miscarriages (18%), and dietary restrictions during pregnancy (3%) were also noted in this study and compared with data in the literature. No evidence of a role of maternal chickenpox and toxoplasmosis could be found. The pharmacological risk also seemed to be minimal. The mother's hormonal profile is deduced from the age at menarche and delivery, as well as from a tendency to miscarriages and complicated pregnancies. With regard to the immunologic aspect, it is worth noting that 15% of the mothers complained of allergies. Live polio vaccine and zoonosis might suggest a possible role of virus-related factors in the oncogenesis of brain tumors in children. Radiation-related risk is possibly present in less than 5% of cases. Parental occupation is not relevant in this series.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Alexander V, Leffingwell S, Lloyd J, Waxweiler R, Miller R (1982) Investigation of an apparent increased prevalence of brain tumors in a U.S. petrochemical plant. Ann NY Acad Sci 381:97–107

    Google Scholar 

  2. Avtsyn AP, Yablanowskaya LY (1964) Effects of disturbances in the hormonal status on experimental brain tumors. Acta Unio Contra Cancer 20:1519–1522

    Google Scholar 

  3. Bader JL, Miller RW (1978) Neurofibromatosis and childhood leukemia. J Pediatr 92:925–929

    Google Scholar 

  4. Bingham E, Niermeier RW, Reid JB (1976) Multiple factors in carcinogenesis. Ann NY Acad Sci 271:14–21

    Google Scholar 

  5. Bithel JF, Draper JG, Gorbach PD (1973) Association between malignant disease and maternal virus infection. Br Med J 1:706–708

    Google Scholar 

  6. Blatt J, Jaffe R, Deutsch M, Adkins JC (1986) Neurofibromatosis and childhood tumors. Cancer 57:1225–1229

    Google Scholar 

  7. Breslow NE, Langholz B (1983) Childhood cancer incidence: geographical and temporal variations. Int J Cancer 32:703–716

    Google Scholar 

  8. Challa VR, Goodman HO, Davis CH (1983) Familial brain tumors: studies of two families and review of the literature. Neurosurgery 12:18–23

    Google Scholar 

  9. Choi NW, Schuman LM, Gullen WH (1970) Epidemiology of primary central nervous system neoplasms. I. Mortality from primary central nervous system neoplasms in Minnesota. Am J Epidemiol 91:238–259

    Google Scholar 

  10. Choi NW, Schuman LM, Gullen WH (1970) Epidemiology of primary central nervous system neoplasms. II. Case control study. Am J Epidemiol 91:467–485

    Google Scholar 

  11. Edner F, Miller RW, Scotto J (1965) U.S. childhood cancer and mortality patterns 1950–1959. JAMA 192:593–596

    Google Scholar 

  12. Farwell JR, Flannery JT (1984) Cancer in relatives of children with central nervous system neoplasms. N Engl J Med 311:749–753

    Google Scholar 

  13. Farwell JR, Flannery JT (1984) Second primaries in children with central nervous system tumors. J Neurooncol 2:371–375

    Google Scholar 

  14. Farwell JR, Dohrmann GJ, Marret LD, Meigs JW (1979) Effects of SV-40 virus contaminated polio vaccine in the incidence and type of CNS neoplasms in children: a population based study. Trans Am Neurol Ass 104:261–264

    Google Scholar 

  15. Farwell JR, Dohrmann GJ, Flannery JT (1984) Medulloblastoma in childhood: an epidemiological study. J Neurosurg 61:644–657

    Google Scholar 

  16. Gold EB, Gordis L, Tonascia J, Szklo M (1978) Increased risk of brain tumors in children exposed to barbiturates. JNCI 61:1031–1034

    Google Scholar 

  17. Gold E, Gordis L, Tonascia J, Szklo M (1979) Risk factors for brain tumors in children. Am J Epidemiol 109:309–319

    Google Scholar 

  18. Gold EB, Diener MD, Szklo M (1982) Parental occupation and cancer in children. A case control study and review of the methodologic issues. J Occup Med 24:578–584

    Google Scholar 

  19. Graham S (1980) Diet and cancer. Am J Epidemiol 112:247–252

    Google Scholar 

  20. Gupta C, Yaffe S, Shapiro B (1982) Prenatal exposure to phenobarbital permanently decreases testosterone and causes reproductive dysfunction. Science 216:640–642

    Google Scholar 

  21. Heidelberger KP, Legolvan DP (1974) Wiscott-Aldrich syndrome and cerebral neoplasia. Report of a case with localized reticulum cell sarcoma. Cancer 33:280–284

    Google Scholar 

  22. Heinonen OP, Shapiro S, Manson RR (1973) Immunization during pregancy against polyomielitis and influenza in relation to childhood malignancy. Int J Epidemiol 2:229–235

    Google Scholar 

  23. Hemminki K, Salonienni I, Salonen T, Patanen T, Vainio H (1981) Childhood cancer and parental occupation in Finland. J Epidemiol Community Health 35:11–15

    Google Scholar 

  24. Kantor AF, McCreocurnen MG, Meigs JW (1979) Occupations of fathers of patients with Wilm's tumors. J Epidemiol Community Health 33:253–256

    Google Scholar 

  25. Kirschstein RL, Gerber P (1962) Ependymomas produced after intracerebral inoculation of SV-40 into newborn hamsters. Nature 195:299–300

    Google Scholar 

  26. Kwa SL, Fine L (1980) The association between parental occupation and childhood malignancy. J Occup Med 22:792–794

    Google Scholar 

  27. Leviton A (1984) Principles of epidemiology. In: Cohen ME, Duffner PK (eds) Brain tumors in children. Principles of diagnosis and treatment. Raven Press, New York, pp 22–45

    Google Scholar 

  28. Li FP, Fraumeni JF (1982) Prospective study of a family cancer syndrome. JAMA 247:2692–2694

    Google Scholar 

  29. Li FP, Cassady JR, Jaffe N (1975) Risk of second tumors in survivors of childhood cancer. Cancer 35:1230–1235

    Google Scholar 

  30. Lipson A, Bale P (1985) Ependymoblastoma associated with prenatal exposure to diphenylhydantoin and methylphenobarbitone. Cancer 55:1859–1862

    Google Scholar 

  31. McMahon B (1962) Prenatal X-ray exposure and childhood cancer. JNCI 28:1173–1191

    Google Scholar 

  32. Meadows AT, D'Angio GJ, Mike V, Banti A, Harris C, Jenkin RDT, Schwartz A (1977) Patterns of second malignant neoplasms in children. Cancer 40:1903–1911

    Google Scholar 

  33. Miller RW (1963) Down's syndrome (mongolism), other congenital malformations and cancers among the sibs of leukemic children. N Engl J Med 268:393–401

    Google Scholar 

  34. Peters JM, Preston-Martin S (1984) Childhood tumors and parental occupational exposures. Teratogenesis Carcinog Mutagen 4:137–148

    Google Scholar 

  35. Peters JM, Preston-Martin S, Yu MC (1981) Brain tumors in children and occupational exposure of parents. Science 213:235–237

    Google Scholar 

  36. Preston-Martin S, Yu MC, Benton B, Henderson BE (1982) N-Nitroso compounds and childhood brain tumors: a case control study. Cancer Res 42:5240–5245

    Google Scholar 

  37. Regelson W, Bross IDJ, Hananian J, Higogosian G (1965) Incidence of second primary tumors in children with cancer and leukemia: a seven year survey of 150 consecutive autopsied cases. Cancer 18:58–72

    Google Scholar 

  38. Sanders BM, White GC, Draper GJ (1981) Occupations of fathers of children dying from neoplasms. J Epidemiol Community Health 35:245–250

    Google Scholar 

  39. Schoenberg BS, Schoenberg DG, Christine BW (1975) The epidemiology of primary intracranial neoplasm of childhood. Neurology 25:705–712

    Google Scholar 

  40. Selvin A, Garfinkel J (1972) The relationship between parental age and birth order with the percentage of low birth-weight infants. Hum Biol 44:501–510

    Google Scholar 

  41. Solitare GB, Krigman MR (1964) Congenital intracranial neoplasm. A case report and review of the literature. J Neuropathol Exp Neurol 23:280–292

    Google Scholar 

  42. Vagnozzi R, Liccardo G, Spallone A, Operamolla P, Castello MA, Giuffré R (1987) Epidemiology of primary brain tumors in childhood. Perinatal risk factors: analysis of 200 cases. J Pediatr Neurosci 3:261–268

    Google Scholar 

  43. Van der Wiel HJ (1959) Inheritance of glioma. Elsevier/North-Holland Biomedical Press, Amsterdam, pp 105–120

    Google Scholar 

  44. Witzke R, Hori A, Rahlf G (1985) Meningioma in a male fetus from a hormonally disequilibrated mother. Child's Nerv Syst 1:359–362

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Neurosurgery, “Tor Vergata”, 2nd State University of Rome, Via Orazio Raimondo, I-00173, Rome, Italy

    R. Giuffrè, G. Liccardo, F. S. Pastore, A. Spallone & R. Vagnozzi

Authors
  1. R. Giuffrè
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. G. Liccardo
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. F. S. Pastore
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. A. Spallone
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. R. Vagnozzi
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Giuffrè, R., Liccardo, G., Pastore, F.S. et al. Potential risk factors for brain tumors in children. Child's Nerv Syst 6, 8–12 (1990). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00262258

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00262258

Key words

Search

Navigation