Childhood Leukemia International Consortium 2018 Scientific Annual Meeting
Tokyo, Japan, November 12 – 15, 2018
CLIC has identified – with enhanced precision – associations of childhood leukemia with multiple chemicals, immune factors, prenatal folic acid/vitamin supplementation, and fetal growth. Analyses have evaluated these environmental risk factors alone and in combination with genetic factors, on childhood leukemia risk overall and by subtype. Pooled analyses were conducted using information about ~9,000 children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), 1,300 children with acute myeloid leukemia (AML), and 15,000 healthy control children from 14 studies.
- CLIC strengthened the evidence of modest associations between paternal ever-smoking and childhood AML, with dose-response relationships. Elevated risks were seen for maternal smoking during pregnancy only among Latino women.
- Home paint exposure shortly before conception, during pregnancy, and/or after birth was associated with an increased risk of childhood ALL and AML. Risks were greater for professional painting and specific cytogenetic subtypes of childhood leukemia.
- Home pesticide use before and/or after birth was associated with an increased risk of childhood ALL overall; elevated risks were observed for most subtypes and with most types of pesticides. An elevated risk of AML was reported for prenatal exposure only.
- Paternal preconception exposure to pesticides at work was associated with increased ALL risk, whereas no association was seen with maternal occupational exposure during pregnancy. In contrast for AML, an association with maternal exposure during pregnancy was observed and no association was seen for preconception paternal exposure.
- Children born by prelabor caesarean delivery were found to be at an increased risk for developing ALL relative to children who were born by vaginal delivery.
- Reduced risks of childhood ALL and AML were associated with maternal intake of folic acid and vitamins before and during pregnancy.
- Pooled analyses supported the hypothesis that child’s immune status and fetal growth are pivotal pathways in the etiology of ALL.
CLIC Meeting Agenda, I4C agenda
Annual CLIC meeting 2018