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Familial aggregation of astrocytoma in northern Sweden: An epidemiological cohort study
Author(s) -
Malmer Beatrice,
Grönberg Henrik,
Bergenheim A. Tommy,
Lenner Per,
Henriksson Roger
Publication year - 1999
Publication title -
international journal of cancer
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.475
H-Index - 234
eISSN - 1097-0215
pISSN - 0020-7136
DOI - 10.1002/(sici)1097-0215(19990505)81:3<366::aid-ijc9>3.0.co;2-0
Subject(s) - astrocytoma , medicine , cohort , epidemiology , proband , population , cohort study , incidence (geometry) , confidence interval , family aggregation , cancer , glioma , oncology , pediatrics , disease , biology , genetics , physics , environmental health , cancer research , optics , mutation , gene
This population‐based cohort study investigated the occurrence of familial astrocytoma among first‐degree relatives of patients with astrocytoma diagnosed between 1985 and 1993 in the northern region of Sweden. The 432 cases received a questionnaire. They were asked to provide names and cancer diagnoses of first‐degree relatives. Of the 297 answering, a cohort was constructed of their 1,890 first‐degree relatives (FDR). A significantly increased risk [standardized incidence ratio, SIR = 2.12, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.18–3.49] was shown for developing primary brain tumors (PBT). In 4.7% (14/297) of the families, a PBT was found. Interestingly, the increased risk was for astrocytoma only (SIR = 3.12, 95% CI 1.42–5.92), and not for other PBT (SIR 0.90, 95% CI 0.18–2.64). When the cohort was divided according to the median age of proband, most of the increased risk was restricted to the younger cohort (SIR = 4.71, 95% CI 1.52–10.99). Surprisingly, a significantly decreased risk for breast cancer and colon cancer was shown. The finding that the increased risk is restricted to astrocytoma only is a novel one. This study implies that familial aggregation of astrocytoma exists; the familial clustering occurs in a small fraction of astrocytoma, and might be explained by inherited factors. Int. J. Cancer 81:366–370, 1999. © 1999 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.