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In utero exposure to female hormones and germ cell tumors in children
Author(s) -
Shankar Sadhna,
Davies Stella,
Giller Roger,
Krailo Mark,
Davis Mary,
Gardner Kathleen,
Cai Hui,
Robison Leslie,
Shu XiaoOu
Publication year - 2006
Publication title -
cancer
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 3.052
H-Index - 304
eISSN - 1097-0142
pISSN - 0008-543X
DOI - 10.1002/cncr.21670
Subject(s) - offspring , medicine , in utero , pregnancy , hormone , odds ratio , germ cell tumors , physiology , risk factor , confidence interval , case control study , gynecology , obstetrics , oncology , fetus , biology , genetics , chemotherapy
BACKGROUND Maternal exposure to exogenous female hormones during pregnancy has been implicated as a risk factor for malignant germ cell tumors (GCTs) in the offspring in some epidemiologic studies of testicular and ovarian carcinoma in adults. METHODS From 1996 to 2002, 278 children younger than 15 years of age with malignant GCTs and 423 healthy controls, frequency‐matched for geographic location, age, and sex were enrolled in a case–control study to investigate whether in utero exposure to female hormones is associated with the risk of malignant GCT in children. Cases were recruited from 84 institutions in the U.S. and controls were enrolled through random digit dialing. Information was obtained through telephone interview with the biological mothers of the subjects and through blinded review of the mothers' medical records. RESULTS Neither self‐reported (odds ratio [OR] = 1.15; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.63, 2.12) nor medical chart based (OR = 1.14; 95% CI, 0.75, 1.73) maternal exposure to exogenous female hormones was related to malignant GCT risk. Pregnancy‐related conditions that may have altered serum levels of circulating female hormones were also unrelated to the risk of GCT in the offspring. CONCLUSION This study failed to provide strong evidence to support the hypothesis that maternal exposure to exogenous female hormones during pregnancy increases the risk of GCT in the offspring. Cancer 2006. © 2006 American Cancer Society.