Age of Father at Child Birth Linked to Risk of Blood Cancer as an Adult

Adults whose fathers were aged 35 years or older at the time of their birth had 63% increased risk for hematologic malignancies.

Children born to older fathers may be at increased risk for blood and immune cancers as an adult, says a new study. However, the study found no association between having an older mother and these cancers.

"The lifetime risk of these cancers is fairly low - about one in 20 men. Still, the study does highlight the need for more research to confirm these findings and to clarify the biologic underpinning for this association," said lead author Lauren Teras from American Cancer Society.

Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia - Incidence Causes Symptoms Diagnosis Treatment Prognosis
Acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) is the cancer of white blood cells characterized by excess lymphoblasts. It is the most common of all childhood cancers and can be fatal in weeks if left untreated.

The researchers analyzed data from women and men enrolled in the American Cancer Society Cancer Prevention Study-II Nutrition Cohort.

Among 138,003 participants, there were 2,532 cases of hematologic cancers identified between 1992 and 2009. The researchers found a strong, positive association with paternal age among participants without siblings.

In that group, those whose fathers were aged 35 years or older at the time of their birth were at 63 percent higher risk of hematologic malignancies compared to those whose fathers were younger than 25.

Blood Cancer's Growth Promoted by a Normal Enzyme Pairing With a Mutant
A normal enzyme pairing with FLT3, the most commonly mutated enzyme found in acute myelogenous leukemia (AML), promotes progression of the disease, suggest researchers.

The study points to the need for further research to better understand the association between paternal age at birth and hematologic malignancies.

The study appeared in the American Journal of Epidemiology.

Aging Gene Linked to Blood Cancer
A major new study suggests that a gene that helps control the ageing process by acting as a cell's internal clock has been linked to cancer.

Source-Medindia

New Ways To Treat Blood Cancers Revealed
The blood cancer charity Leukemia and Lymphoma Research has awarded 115,000-pounds to the researchers for a project looking for new ways to treat the most common form of leukemia.