FORCES - Evidence by topic - Back to: Proving the lies of the anti-tobacco cartel: The Evidence
Bibliography on studies - The untold evidence
PARENTAL SMOKING DOES NOT CAUSE KIDS' CANCER
The anti-smokers fear-monger about the possible effect of carcinogens in tobacco smoke on childhood cancer. There have been a number of studies investigating possible links between parental smoking and childhood cancer, and the media only publicized the ones which claimed big risks. But considering the numbers of cases in other studies, the evidence is overwhelming that there is no association between parental smoking and childhood cancer, especially with leukemia, their most-hyped supposed risk.
| **** | ALL
SITES | SOFT
TISSUE | OTHER | LEUKEMIA | LYMPHOMA | CNS | KIDNEY |
|---|
Manning 1957
control exp=38% | --- | --- | 93
37% | (unsp) 188
38% | (unsp) 42
31% | --- | --- |
|---|
Steward 1958
case-contr diff | --- | 739 | (unsp) 677 | --- | --- | --- | --- |
|---|
Neutel 1971
x not exp rate | --- | --- | 23
1.49x | 22
1.76x | --- | 20
0.80 | --- |
|---|
Van Steensel-
Moll 1985 | --- | --- | --- | (unsp) 519
1.0 ns | --- | --- | --- |
|---|
Stjernfeldt 1986
1-9
10+ | 280
1.07
* 1.56 | 29
0.60
1.08 | solid95
0.95
1.13 | (ALL) 75
1.34
88 2.07 | NH 16 H 15
1.90 1.05
2.11 0.32 | brain43
1.01
0.86 | 16
0.70
2.53 |
|---|
Buckley 1986
mat. s, 1-9
10+ | 1814
1.31 ns
0.97ns | --- | --- | (ALL) 742
0.97 ns
0.85 ns | (NHL) 169
0.78 ns
1.01 ns | --- | --- |
|---|
Li 1986
% exposed
(Stjern. 1986)
(combined) | --- | --- | (ALL) 113
22%
43%
37% | NH 38 H 37
37% 41%
44% 20%
39% 35% | --- | 18
22%
44%
32% | --- |
|---|
McKinney 1986
mat. s, 1-10
10+ | 555
1.12 ns
0.84 ns | 43
1.37 ns
1.47 ns | --- | (unsp) 171
1.02 ns
0.61 ns | (unsp) 74
1.89 ns
1.02 ns | (cns) 78
1.11 ns
1.02 ns | Wilms 32
0.86 ns
1.17 ns |
|---|
Stjernfeldt 1989
| 216
? | --- | solid 88
notrend | (ALL) 128
2.2 sig | --- | --- | --- |
|---|
John 1992 total
# used in mat s | 223
138
1.40 ns | 26
18
1.3 ns | 79
40
1.1 ns | (unsp) 73
(ALL) 33
2.5 s | (unsp) 26
16
2.7 ms | brain 48
22
0.8 ns | 16
|
|---|
Pershagen 1992
yes/no
<10
ò10 | 327
0.99 ns
1.04 ns
0.92 | --- | sol 198
0.96 ns
0.94 ns
1.01 ns | (ALL) 84
0.76 ns
un 0.94 ns
un 0.73 ns | --- | 81
0.96 ns
0.89 ns
1.07 ns | 30
0.61 ns
|
|---|
Severson 1993
current | --- | --- | --- | (AML) 40
0.91 ns | --- | --- | --- |
|---|
- Stewart considered their finding to be likely due to respondent bias.
- Dahlquist revealed that the selection of controls in the Stjernfeldt study was biased. Cases were drawn from 37 different clinics, but 1/3 of controls were from a single one of them.
- Li showed that the risk claimed by Stjernfeldt would be cancelled out by their own study findings.
- Kilpatrick criticized John for using the Mantel-Haenszel method to adjust for unspecified confounding variables, despite the fact that controls were individually matched to cases.
- Lee criticized John for not considering x-ray exposure (found to be a leukemia risk factor by Manning, Stewart, Van Steensel -Moll, and Stjernfeldt), Down's syndrome, occupation, and viral infection.
- Buckley (1989) also found childhood acute nonlymphocytic leukemia associated with parental marijuana use and exposure to pesticides among 204 cases.
 Buckley JD, Hobbie WL et al. (letter) Lancet 1986 Aug 30;2:519-520.
 Buckley JD, Robison LL, Swotinsky R et al. Occupational exposures of parents of children with acute nonlymphocytic leukemia. Cancer Res 1989;49:4030-37.
Dahlquist G, Wall S. (letter re Stjernfeldt) Lancet 1986 Aug 30;2:519.
John EM, Savitz DA, Sandler DA. Prenatal exposure to parents' smoking and childhood cancer. Am J Epidemiol 1991;133(2):123-132. (replies to Kilpatrick SJ Jr; Witorsch P; Lee PN.) Am J Epidemiol 1992;135(6):714-715.
Kilpatrick SJ Jr. (letter re John EM) Am J Epidemiol 1992;135(6):712-713.
Lee PN. (letter re John) Am J Epidemiol 1992 Mar 15;135(6):713-714.
Li FP. (letter re Stjernfeldt) Lancet 1986 Aug 30;2:520.
Manning MD, Carroll BE. Some epidemiological aspects of leukemia in children. JNCI Dec 1957;19(6):1087-1094.
McKinney PA, Stiller CA for the IRESCC group. (letter) Lancet 1986;2:519.
Neutel CI, Buck C. Effect of smoking during pregnancy on the risk of cancer in children. JNCI 1971;47(1):59-63.
Pershagen G, Ericson A, et al. Maternal smoking in pregnancy: Does it increase the risk of childhood cancer? Int J Epidemiol 1992;21(1):1-5.
Severson RK, Buckley JD et al. Cigarette smoking and alcohol consumption by parents of children with acute myeloid leukemia...Cancer Epidemiol Biomark Prevent 1993;2(5):433-9.
Stewart A, Webb J, Hewitt D. A survey of childhood malignancies. BMJ 1958;1:1496-1508.
Stjernfeldt M, Berglund K, Lindsten J, Ludvigsson J. Maternal smoking during pregnancy and risk of childhood cancer. Lancet Jun 14 1986;1:1350-1352.
Stjernfeldt M, Berglund K, Lindsten J, Ludvigsson J. (abstr). Maternal smoking and irradiation during pregnancy as risk factors for child leukemia. Cancer Detect Prevent 1989;14(1):83.
Van Steensel-Moll HA, Valkenburg HA et al. Are maternal fertility problems related to childhood leukemia? Int J Epidemiol 1985;14(4):555-559.
Courtesy of Carol Thompson 08/23/93
Smokers' Rights Action Group
P.O. Box 259575
Madison, WI 53725-9575
Phone: 608-249-4568
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