Socioeconomic status and childhood central nervous system tumors in California
Menée aux Etats-Unis à partir de données portant sur 3 022 enfants atteints d'une tumeur du système nerveux central diagnostiquée entre 1988 et 2011 (âge : 0-19 ans) et sur 10 791 témoins, cette étude analyse l'association entre le statut socioéconomique des parents et le risque de développer la maladie
Purpose : Childhood central nervous system (CNS) tumors are the leading cause of cancer mortality in children. Previous studies have suggested that some childhood cancers, including primary CNS tumors, may be associated with higher socioeconomic status (SES). Methods : We linked data from the California Cancer Registry to California birth records for children (age 0–19 years) diagnosed with primary CNS tumors during 1988–2011 and analyzed multiple measures of parental SES around the birth of their children and subsequent risk for childhood CNS tumors. Our SES measures included birth record-derived parental education and insurance utilization. For a subset of subjects born between 1997 and 2007, we geocoded addresses and examined census-derived median household income and educational level. Results : We analyzed data for 3,022 children with primary CNS tumors and 10,791 matched controls. We found consistent evidence across multiple measures that lower estimates of SES are associated with a reduced risk of CNS tumors. In tumor subgroup analyses, this relationship was most consistent in astrocytomas and ependymomas, with varying findings for embryonal tumors. Conclusion : Higher parental SES appears to be a risk factor for childhood CNS tumors in California. Further research is needed to determine specific exposures that may explain this increased risk.