Shlomit Yust-Katz1, Aya Bar Oz2, Estela Derazne3, Lior H Katz4, Hagai Levine5, Lital Keinan-Boker6, Alexandra Amiel7, Andrew Kanner8, Yosf Laviv8, Asaf Honig9, I Shelef10, Tali Siegal7, Gilad Twig11, Jeremy Kark4. 1. Neuro-Oncology Unit, Davidoff Cancer Center, Rabin Medical Center - Beilinson Hospital, Petach Tikva 49100, Address: 39 Jabotinski St, Petah Tikva, Israel; Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv Universityl, Address: Ramat Aviv, Tel Aviv 69978, Israel. Electronic address: shlomit2@clalit.org.il. 2. Department of Sociology, University of Toronto, Toronto M5S 2J4, Address: 725 Spadina Ave. Toronto, ON, Canada. 3. Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv Universityl, Address: Ramat Aviv, Tel Aviv 69978, Israel. 4. Department of Gastroenterology, Hadassah Ein Kerem, Jerusalem 91120, Address: Kiryat Hadassah, POB 12000, Israel. 5. Braun School of Public Health and Community Medicine, Hadassah-Hebrew University, Hadassah Ein Kerem, Address: Kiryat Hadassah, POB 12000, Jerusalem 91120, Israel. 6. Israel Center for Disease Control Israel Ministry of Health, Ramat Gan 5262160, Address: Emek HaElah St., Israel. 7. Neuro-Oncology Unit, Davidoff Cancer Center, Rabin Medical Center - Beilinson Hospital, Petach Tikva 49100, Address: 39 Jabotinski St, Petah Tikva, Israel. 8. Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv Universityl, Address: Ramat Aviv, Tel Aviv 69978, Israel; Department of Neurosurgery, Rabin Medical Center - Beilinson Hospital, Petach Tikva 49100, Address: 39 Jabotinski St., Israel. 9. The Israel Defense Forces Medical Corps, Address:Tel Hashomer, Ramat Gan, Israel. 10. Department of Diagnostic Imaging, Soroka University Medical Center. Address: Soroka University Medical Center, POB 151, Beer-Sheva, Israel. 11. Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv Universityl, Address: Ramat Aviv, Tel Aviv 69978, Israel; The Israel Defense Forces Medical Corps, Address:Tel Hashomer, Ramat Gan, Israel; Institute of Endocrinology, Sheba Medical Center, Address:Tel Hashomer, 52621 Ramat Gan, Israel.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: cranial X radiation therapy was the standard of care for treating dermatological conditions until the 1960s, when its association to cancer and particularly high rates of brain tumors was discovered. This study examines associations found between incidence of brain tumor and ethnicity. METHODS: This study analyzed two cohorts who underwent examination at age 17 and were followed by linkage to the national cancer registry. The first cohort included 376,336 participants born in 1948-1959 (when treatment with cranial X radiation was standard care for treating tinea capitis), and the second 474,923 participants born in 1960-1971. RESULTS: In the first cohort, ethnicity was strongly associated with the incidence of brain tumor (BT), with higher incidence observed among patients with origins in North Africa or the Middle East. This effect was ablated in the second cohort, and a significant decrease in the rate of meningiomas was noted. CONCLUSION: The association of brain tumor with ethnicity was present only during the period when treatment with cranial X radiation was the standard of care for TC in Israel, therefore it is most likely that radiation exposure was a confounding factor, and that ethnic susceptibility for brain cancer was not causative in these cohorts.
BACKGROUND:cranial X radiation therapy was the standard of care for treating dermatological conditions until the 1960s, when its association to cancer and particularly high rates of brain tumors was discovered. This study examines associations found between incidence of brain tumor and ethnicity. METHODS: This study analyzed two cohorts who underwent examination at age 17 and were followed by linkage to the national cancer registry. The first cohort included 376,336 participants born in 1948-1959 (when treatment with cranial X radiation was standard care for treating tinea capitis), and the second 474,923 participants born in 1960-1971. RESULTS: In the first cohort, ethnicity was strongly associated with the incidence of brain tumor (BT), with higher incidence observed among patients with origins in North Africa or the Middle East. This effect was ablated in the second cohort, and a significant decrease in the rate of meningiomas was noted. CONCLUSION: The association of brain tumor with ethnicity was present only during the period when treatment with cranial X radiation was the standard of care for TC in Israel, therefore it is most likely that radiation exposure was a confounding factor, and that ethnic susceptibility for brain cancer was not causative in these cohorts.