The epidemiology of neuroblastoma: a review

  1. Julia E. Heck1,
  2. Beate Ritz1,2,
  3. Rayjean J. Hung1,3,
  4. Mia Hashibe1,
  5. Paolo Boffetta1

Article first published online: 28 NOV 2008

DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-3016.2008.00983.x

Issue

Paediatric and Perinatal Epidemiology

Paediatric and Perinatal Epidemiology

Volume 23, Issue 2, pages 125–143, March 2009

Additional Information

How to Cite

Heck, J. E., Ritz, B., Hung, R. J., Hashibe, M. and Boffetta, P. (2009), The epidemiology of neuroblastoma: a review. Paediatric and Perinatal Epidemiology, 23: 125–143. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-3016.2008.00983.x

Author Information

  1. 1

    International Agency for Research on Cancer, Lyon, France,

  2. 2

    Departments of Epidemiology, Environmental Health Sciences, and Neurology, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, and

  3. 3

    Samuel Lunenfeld Research Institute, Mount Sinai Hospital, Toronto, Canada

*Dr Paolo Boffetta, International Agency for Research on Cancer, 150 cours Albert Thomas, 69008 Lyon, France. E-mail: boffetta@iarc.fr

Publication History

  1. Issue published online: 20 JAN 2009
  2. Article first published online: 28 NOV 2008

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Keywords:

  • neuroblastoma;
  • risk factors;
  • maternal alcohol consumption;
  • maternal prenatal medication;
  • diuretics;
  • maternal prenatal vitamins;
  • childhood allergies;
  • paternal occupation;
  • breast feeding

Summary

Neuroblastoma is the most common tumour in children less than 1 year of age. The goal of this review was to summarise the existing epidemiological research on risk factors for neuroblastoma.

A comprehensive search of the literature was undertaken using PubMed for epidemiological studies on neuroblastoma risk factors. We ascertained 47 articles which examined the risk factors. Ten studies employed population-based case-control designs; six were hospital-based case-control studies; two were cohort studies; and five employed ecological designs. Studies ranged in size from 42 to 538 cases. Three studies showed evidence of an increased risk of disease with use of alcohol during pregnancy (OR range 1.1, 12.0). Protective effects were seen with maternal vitamin intake during pregnancy (OR range 0.5, 0.7) in two studies, while risk of disease increased with maternal intake of diuretics (OR range 1.2, 5.8) in three studies. Three studies reported a decrease in risk for children with a history of allergic disease prior to neuroblastoma diagnosis (OR range 0.2, 0.4). The rarity of neuroblastoma makes this disease particularly challenging to study epidemiologically. We review the methodological limitations of prior research and make suggestions for further areas of study.

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