Family History and Prior Allergies of Cancers and the Risk of Adult Leukemia in Shandong Province, China

BACKGROUND A case-control study was carried out to investigate the roles of prior allergies and family history of cancers and their interaction in the etiology of adult leukemia. METHODS Prior allergies status and family history of cancers in first-degree relatives were compared between 131 incident leukemia cases and 206 hospital-based controls. Odds ratios (OR) were estimated using an unconditional regression model taking into account potential confounding factors. RESULTS Significant association between adult leukemia and prior allergies and family history of cancer (OR=2.09, 95% CI: 1.22-3.58 for prior allergies; and OR=2.35, 95% CI: 1.09-5.03 for family history of cancer, OR=15.88, 95% CI: 1.77-142.55 for both the two factors (+), respectively) was found after adjusting for potential confounding factors. CONCLUSION Prior allergies and family history of cancers may be risk factors for adult leukemia; their interaction was likely to be synergistic rather than additive for the risk of leukemia.