Paternal occupational exposure to pesticides and risk of neuroblastoma among children: a meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVE

Epidemiological data relating paternal pesticide exposure in occupational settings with higher risk of neuroblastoma are inconsistent. Since most studies included a small number of cases, lack of power is a potential reason for observed inconsistencies. We conducted a meta-analysis of published studies that investigated the association of paternal occupational pesticide exposure with childhood neuroblastoma.

METHODS

We identified published studies up to October 2009 on paternal pesticide exposure and neuroblastoma using online databases and extracted relative risk estimates for the association. Summary relative risk estimates were calculated using the fixed effects inverse variance weighting method. To account for heterogeneity, we used Shore-corrected confidence intervals and the random effects method. Subgroup analyses were conducted according to study design, location, and exposure ascertainment method.

RESULTS

The meta-analysis included seven case-control and two cohort studies with a combined total of 1,426 cases. Overall, between-study heterogeneity was low (p = 0.46), and the fixed effects, random effects, and Shore-adjusted confidence intervals were similar. The summary risk ratio was 1.07 (95% CI 0.79-1.46, two-sided p value = 0.65). Results of the subgroup meta-analyses were robustly null.

CONCLUSIONS

Findings from current published studies do not support an association between paternal occupational pesticide exposure and childhood neuroblastoma.