A Task-Based Assessment of Parental Occupational Exposure to Organic Solvents and Other Compounds and Risk of Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia in the Offspring

Background: Acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) is the most common childhood cancer. Studies examining paternal occupational exposures and risk of childhood ALL have mainly relied on job titles lacking specificity. Methods: We examined the relationship between the father’s workplace exposures before and after birth and risk of ALL in the offspring. Children with ALL (n=667) and controls (n=1,020) were enrolled in a population-based case-control study in California (2000-2008). We developed 19 task-based job modules (JMs) based on the prevalence of occupations in the study area and the probability of exposures to carcinogens. Expert assessment was then applied to estimate exposure to organic solvents and other compounds. Unconditional logistic regression models adjusted for socio-demographic factors were used to estimate odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Results: Of 1,634 fathers, 903 were assigned a JM and 643 (71%) completed the interview (55% Hispanic origin). Occupations were stable ...