Parental cancer in an unselected cohort of children with cancer referred to a single centre.

A study of parental cancer in 326 children referred to a single Paediatric Oncology Unit found a significant increase in breast cancer in mothers of children with solid tumours. The 5 tumours found were 8.9 times the expected number. This increase could not be accounted for by any of the known risk factors for breast cancer. The incidence of cancer in mothers of leukaemic children and in all groups of fathers was not significantly raised. Further prospective studies in the mothers of young children with soft tissue tumours are needed to clarify the groups at risk and to determine whether counselling and surveillance of these mothers is appropriate.