Parental factors in childhood malignancies

ABSTRACT

The current study included 125 children with cancer, in addition to 125 age and sex matched healthy children as a control group. 49% of the cancer patients were coming from rural places versus 35.2% of the controls, this difference was statistically significant. As regards the degree of consanguinity, there was a statistically significant high prevalence of first degree of consanguinity among children of cancer group than the controls; this was the same for children with solid tumors, but not for those with lymphoma and leukemia. The present study showed an increased percentage of parental exposures to pesticides, paints and dyes as well as maternal exposures to irradiation among children in the cancer group. However, this difference was mot statistically significant, may be due to the small number of the study group. However, there was a significant increase of the parental exposure to motor exhaust products in the cancer group