Work link to childhood cancer

Unions and campaigners have long argued that the risk of childhood cancer is linked with parental exposure to carcinogens in the workplace. A new study commissioned by the HSE has investigated these risks, using data from the UK Childhood Cancer Study and workers in 24,000 jobs. Significant risks of children developing acute lymphoblastic leukaemia were found when their mothers were exposed to solvents during pregnancy. There was also higher risk of children developing leukaemia and Hodgkin’s Lymphoma when their fathers were exposed to fertilisers during and after pregnancy. The study however also cast some doubt on risk estimates that rely on “self-reported” occupational exposure.

Parental occupational chemical exposures andchildhood cancer (RR661), http://www.hse.gov.uk/research/rrpdf/rr661.pdf