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Purpose: The incidence of Ewing sarcoma varies according to race and ethnicity, and genetic susceptibility is known to affect disease risk. Apart from these factors, the etiology of Ewing sarcoma is largely unknown. Methods: We compared the birth characteristics of a population-based series of 556 Ewing sarcoma cases born in California in 1978–2015 and diagnosed in 1988–2015 with those of 27,800 controls selected from statewide birth records and frequency-matched to cases on the year of birth, using multivariable logistic regression models. We also assessed whether Ewing sarcoma clustered within families. Results: Compared to non-Hispanic White subjects, Black (odds ratio [OR] = 0.07, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.03–0.18), Asian (OR = 0.57, 95% CI 0.41–0.80), and Hispanic (OR = 0.73, 95% CI 0.62–0.88) individuals had a significantly lower risk of Ewing sarcoma. Race and ethnicity differences were more profound for metastatic Ewing sarcoma. Birthweight was also identified as a significant risk factor (OR = 1.09, 95% CI 1.00–1.18 for each 500 g increase in birthweight). A separate family-based cancer clustering analysis did not suggest any strong role for familial predisposition alleles. Conclusions: This population-based study with minimal selection bias provides support for a role of accelerated fetal growth in the etiology of Ewing sarcoma in addition to more precise estimates of racial and ethnic variations in disease risk. This comparatively large analysis of birth characteristics and Ewing sarcoma in a multiethnic population should stimulate further investigations into genetic and environmental causes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To evaluate the association between birth characteristics, including parental sociodemographic characteristics, and early-onset pituitary adenoma (PA) and craniopharyngioma. Methods: Leveraging the population-based California Linkage Study of Early-onset Cancers, we identified the birth characteristics of incident cases with PA (n = 1,749) or craniopharyngioma (n = 227) who were born from 1978 to 2015 and diagnosed 1988–2015, as well as controls in a 50:1 ratio matched on birth year. Adjusted odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) estimates were computed using unconditional multivariable logistic regression. Results: Males had a lower risk of PA than females (OR = 0.37, 95%CI: 0.34–0.41), and Black (OR = 1.55, 95%CI: 1.30–1.84) or Hispanic (OR = 1.53, 95%CI: 1.34–1.74) individuals had a higher risk compared to non-Hispanic Whites. Older maternal age was positively associated with PA (OR = 1.09, 95%CI: 1.04–1.15 per 5 years, p < 0.01), as was higher maternal education (OR = 1.12, 95%CI: 1.04–1.20 per year, p < 0.01). There were no statistically significant associations between birthweight (OR = 1.04, 95%CI: 0.99–1.09 per 500 g, p = 0.12), birth plurality, or birth order and PA. When stratified by race and ethnicity, the significant association with maternal education was identified only for non-Hispanic White individuals. On multivariable logistic regression, no statistically significant associations were identified between birth characteristics and incidence of craniopharyngioma, except that risk was higher among Hispanic (OR = 1.45, 95%CI: 1.01–2.08) compared to non-Hispanic White individuals. Conclusion: In this large, population-based study, female sex, older maternal age, higher maternal education, and Hispanic ethnicity and Black race compared to non-Hispanic White race, were associated with an increased risk of PA in children and young adults. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Incidence rates of thyroid cancer in children and young adults (age 0–19 years) have nearly doubled over a recent 15-year period in the United States. Children with thyroid cancer may require long-term therapy and surveillance and are at greater risk for second primary malignancies. High-dose exposure to ionizing radiation is the only known nongenetic risk factor; the vast majority of cases have an unknown etiology. Methods: We conducted a population-based nested case-control study to evaluate the relationship between a range of birth characteristics and the risk of pediatric thyroid cancer. Using linked birth records and cancer registry data from California, we included 1012 cases who were diagnosed with first primary thyroid cancer at the age of 0–19 years from 1988 to 2015 and 50,600 birth-year matched controls (1:50 case to control ratio). We estimated adjusted odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) by using multivariable logistic regression models applied to the full population and stratified by thyroid cancer subtypes (papillary and follicular), race/ethnicity (white and Hispanic), and age at diagnosis (0–14 and 15–19 years). Results: Hispanic ethnicity (OR: 1.20 [CI 1.01–1.42]), higher birth weight (OR: 1.11 [CI 1.04–1.18] per 500g), and higher maternal education (13–15 years OR: 1.35 [CI 1.09–1.68], 16+ years OR: 1.35 [CI 1.07–1.71]) were associated with an increased risk of pediatric thyroid cancer, while male sex (OR: 0.21 [CI 0.18–0.25]) and higher birth order (third or higher OR: 0.81 [CI 0.68–0.98]) were associated with a decreased risk. Some heterogeneity was observed across subtype, most notably an elevated OR with higher birth order for follicular thyroid cancer, in contrast to the reduced risk for this category among papillary thyroid cancer cases (p-value for interaction = 0.01). Hispanic ethnicity was a risk factor for papillary, but not follicular thyroid cancer (p-value for interaction = 0.07). Conclusions: In this population-based study of birth characteristics and pediatric thyroid cancer, we identified several important risk factors for pediatric thyroid cancer, including female sex, Hispanic ethnicity, higher birth weight, higher maternal educational attainment, and lower birth order. Our data provide new areas for replication and investigation of biological mechanisms for this poorly understood malignancy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Childhood central nervous system (CNS) tumors are the leading cause of cancer mortality in children. Previous studies have suggested that some childhood cancers, including primary CNS tumors, may be associated with higher socioeconomic status (SES).Methods: We linked data from the California Cancer Registry to California birth records for children (age 0-19 years) diagnosed with primary CNS tumors during 1988-2011 and analyzed multiple measures of parental SES around the birth of their children and subsequent risk for childhood CNS tumors. Our SES measures included birth record-derived parental education and insurance utilization. For a subset of subjects born between 1997 and 2007, we geocoded addresses and examined census-derived median household income and educational level.Results: We analyzed data for 3,022 children with primary CNS tumors and 10,791 matched controls. We found consistent evidence across multiple measures that lower estimates of SES are associated with a reduced risk of CNS tumors. In tumor subgroup analyses, this relationship was most consistent in astrocytomas and ependymomas, with varying findings for embryonal tumors.Conclusion: Higher parental SES appears to be a risk factor for childhood CNS tumors in California. Further research is needed to determine specific exposures that may explain this increased risk. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The incidence of testicular germ cell tumors (TGCT) is increasing steadily in the United States, particularly among Latinos. TGCT is thought to be initiated in utero and exposure to endocrine-disrupting chemicals, suspected contributors to TGCT pathogenesis, during this critical developmental period may contribute to the rise.Objectives: To assess the relationship between fetal exposure to agricultural endocrine-disrupting pesticides (EDPs) and TGCT risk among adolescents in a diverse population in California.Methods: We conducted a registry-based case-control study of TGCT. Cases, diagnosed between 1997 and 2011, were 15-19 years of age (n = 381). Controls were matched on birth year and race/ethnicity (n = 762). Quantities (kilograms) of 33 pesticides applied within 3 km and 1 km radii of each individual's address before birth were estimated using the Pesticide Use Reporting database. Odds ratios (OR), 95% confidence intervals (CI), and population attributable risk (PAR) were calculated for each EDP (using log-2 transformed values). Risk models considered race/ethnicity, birth year, and neighborhood socioeconomic status.Results: A doubling of nearby acephate applications (3 km and 1 km radii) and malathion applications (1 km radius) was associated with increased risks of TGCT among Latinos only (OR = 1.09; 95% CI:1.01-1.17; 1.30; 95% CI:1.08-1.57, and 1.19; 95% CI:1.01-1.39, respectively), whereas application of carbaryl within a 3 km radius increased TGCT risk in non-Latinos only (OR = 1.14, 95% CI:1.01-1.28). We estimate that acephate was associated with approximately 10% of the TGCT PAR, malathion with 3% and carbaryl with 1%.Conclusions: TGCT among adolescents in California was associated with prenatal residential proximity to acephate and malathion among Latinos, and with carbaryl among non-Latinos. These results suggest that the rise in TGCT risk among Latinos may be associated with exposure to these pesticides. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]