Study: Breast Cancer in Mothers Tied to Solid Tumors in Children

Mothers of children who develop certain types of cancer run a greater risk of developing breast cancer, according to a new study prepared for the European Cancer Conference.

Dong Pang, an epidemiologist at the Royal Manchester Children's Hospital, said the study was believed the first to demonstrate a link between breast cancer in women and solid tumors -- other than sarcoma -- in their offspring.

"The increased risk of breast cancer among mothers of children with solid tumors might be due to some form of mother-fetal interaction during pregnancy, and that hormones might play a role," Pang said.

The younger the child with a solid-type cancerous tumor, the higher the risk for the mother, the researchers reported.

Pang told the conference that his group's study of 2,604 children under 15 diagnosed with a solid malignant tumor found 95 mothers who developed breast cancer -- "a third higher than the expected number of 73.5."

Among mothers of cancerous children, "the risk of breast cancer is higher during the early years following the birth of the child who subsequently develops cancer," the researchers reported.

Other Sources: European Cancer Conference