Major Birth Defects Are More Common in Children with Cancer
Infants with neuroblastoma more than ten times as likely to have congenital malformations
Infants with neuroblastoma more than ten times as likely to have congenital malformations
April 24, 2007—In a cruel double-blow for thousands of
families, children with neuroblastomas are also
markedly more likely to have major birth defects of the
heart and other organs, report researchers from the
University of Washington and the Fred Hutchinson
Cancer Research Center in Seattle.
The team used data from birth records and
Washington State cancer databases to compare the
rates of birth defects in 240 children diagnosed with
neuroblastoma and 2400 healthy children. Children
with the brain cancer were nearly 7 times as likely to
have major birth defects.
Heart malformations were strongly associated with
neuroblastoma, reports lead study author Eric Chow of
the University of Washington Department of Pediatrics.
Children with chromosomal malformation syndromes
like Down's Syndrome exhibit elevated rates of both
heart defects and childhood cancers, but such cases
were excluded from the study, says Chow.
The association between brain cancer and major birth
defects was particularly strong for infants. Children
diagnosed with brain cancer before age 1 were eleven
times as likely as healthy children to have major birth
defects.
Several recent studies have linked childhood cancers
to other birth defect syndromes like LEOPARD
syndrome, Kabuki syndrome, and cleidocranial
dysostosis. In one report by researchers in Amsterdam,
the incidence of malformation syndromes among
children with cancer was found to be 7 times as high as
that among children without cancer, pointing to shared
genetic vulnerabilities or mutations.
A weaker, borderline association between
neuroblastoma and maternal gestational diabetes was
also identified.
The study was funded by the National Cancer Institute,
Pediatric Oncology Research Training Program (Grant
#T32-CA009251), SEER Grant to the Fred Hutchinson
Cancer Research Center's Cancer Surveillance System
(Grant #NO1-PC-35142), and Washington State. The
Washington State Department of Health is thanked by
the study authors for allowing data access.
families, children with neuroblastomas are also
markedly more likely to have major birth defects of the
heart and other organs, report researchers from the
University of Washington and the Fred Hutchinson
Cancer Research Center in Seattle.
The team used data from birth records and
Washington State cancer databases to compare the
rates of birth defects in 240 children diagnosed with
neuroblastoma and 2400 healthy children. Children
with the brain cancer were nearly 7 times as likely to
have major birth defects.
Heart malformations were strongly associated with
neuroblastoma, reports lead study author Eric Chow of
the University of Washington Department of Pediatrics.
Children with chromosomal malformation syndromes
like Down's Syndrome exhibit elevated rates of both
heart defects and childhood cancers, but such cases
were excluded from the study, says Chow.
The association between brain cancer and major birth
defects was particularly strong for infants. Children
diagnosed with brain cancer before age 1 were eleven
times as likely as healthy children to have major birth
defects.
Several recent studies have linked childhood cancers
to other birth defect syndromes like LEOPARD
syndrome, Kabuki syndrome, and cleidocranial
dysostosis. In one report by researchers in Amsterdam,
the incidence of malformation syndromes among
children with cancer was found to be 7 times as high as
that among children without cancer, pointing to shared
genetic vulnerabilities or mutations.
A weaker, borderline association between
neuroblastoma and maternal gestational diabetes was
also identified.
The study was funded by the National Cancer Institute,
Pediatric Oncology Research Training Program (Grant
#T32-CA009251), SEER Grant to the Fred Hutchinson
Cancer Research Center's Cancer Surveillance System
(Grant #NO1-PC-35142), and Washington State. The
Washington State Department of Health is thanked by
the study authors for allowing data access.
| Statistical Details Childhood neuroblastoma and major congenital malformations: Odds ratio: 6.86, 95% Confidence Intervals: 2.92, 16 Neuroblastoma and major cardiac malformations: OR: 5.84, CI: 1.93-17.66 Infant neuroblastoma (diagnosed prior to age 1 year), presence of major birth defects: OR: 11.1, CI: 3.84-32 Neuroblastoma, maternal gestational diabetes:OR: 1.84, CI: 0.98-3.47 |
| Further reading Eric J. Chow, et al. (2007) Maternal and perinatal characteristics in relation to neuroblastoma. Cancer; 109:983-992. J. Hans Merks, et al. (2005) High incidence of malformation syndromes in a series of 1,073 children with cancer. American Journal of Medical Genetics A; 134(2):132-143. |