Browsing by discipline "Epidemiologia, syövän myöhäisvaikutukset"

Background: Offspring of cancer survivors may be at risk for congenital anomalies due to the mutagenic therapies received by their parents. Our population-based cohort study aimed to investigate the risk for congenital anomalies in offspring of early-onset cancer survivors compared to offspring of their siblings. Methods: We identified hospital contacts due to congenital anomalies during the first two years of life in 6,862 offspring of cancer survivors and 35,690 offspring of siblings. Survivors were diagnosed between 1953 and 2004. Using the Finnish Cancer Registry, Central Population Register, and Hospital Discharge Register, we identified the study cohorts and congenital anomalies. Associations between congenital anomalies and cancer were evaluated using generalized linear regression modelling. All statistical tests were two-sided. Results: The ratio of congenital anomalies in offspring of cancer survivors (3.2%) was slightly, but nonsignificantly, elevated compared to that of offspring of siblings (2.7%) [prevalence ratio (PR) 1.07, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.91-1.25, p=0.44]. When offspring of childhood and adolescent survivors (0-19 years at cancer diagnosis) were compared to siblings' offspring, the risk for congenital anomalies was nonsignificantly increased (PR 1.17, 95%CI 0.92-1.49, p=0.19). No such increase existed for offspring of young adult survivors (20-34 years at cancer diagnosis) compared with siblings' offspring (PR 1.01, 95%CI 0.83-1.23, p=0.94). Conclusion: In our study, we did not detect an overall elevated risk for congenital anomalies in offspring of survivors diagnosed in young adulthood. However, our results suggest that parental cancer may be associated with congenital anomalies in offspring of childhood and adolescent cancer survivors.