Mining the radon studies.

Attention has recently focused on the possible teratogenic effects of the combination antiemetic doxylamine succinate, dicyclomine hydrochloride and pyridoxine hydrochloride (Debendox/Bendectin) prescribed to pregnant women. The InterRegional Epidemiological Study of Childhood Cancer (IRESCC), a case-control investigation has analysed data derived from interview reports and medical records of 555 mothers of children (under 15 years) with cancer and 1110 mothers of matched control children. Separate analyses of interview reports and medical records both suggested that antiemetic ingestion during the index pregnancy does not increase the risk of developing childhood malignant disease in the exposed foetus. No dose-response relationship was evident. The lack of any significant relative risks held good for diagnostic subgroups and when the trimester of ingestion was considered. Our results suggest that antimetics of this type are unlikely to be transplacental carcinogens. In utero the developing foetus presents a sensitive target to transplacental teratogens and carcinogens which may be present in the maternal circulation (Salonen, 1976), although innocuous to the mother (Cordero & Oakley, 1983). Evidence for transplacental teratogenesis has been documented for both animals and humans (Tomatis & Mohr, 1973). Teratogenesis and carcinogenesis are possibly allied processes depending on the agent and its mode and time of action (Sullivan, 1973) with either cancer or congenital malformations resulting from a transplacental exposure. A major determinant of the outcome will be the susceptibility of the foetus at varying stages of development (DiPaulo & Kotin, 1966). Apart from iron and vitamins, antiemetics are among the commonest groups of drugs prescribed to pregnant women, particularly in the first trimester, the period of most rapid foetal growth. The present paper evaluates possible carcinogenic IRESCC Group: the authors and C. effects on the foetus of mothers taking certain antiemetics, particularly Debendox. The InterRegional Epidemiological Study of Childhood Cancer (IRESCC) collected information on the drug ingestion during pregnancy of mothers whose children (under 15 years) have cancer of any type, together with equivalent information from mothers of matched control children. An important aspect of the study is the availability for analysis of data both reported at interview and abstracted from medical records. Materials and methods Incident cases of childhood cancer were ascertained from regional paediatric oncology clinics and cancer registries in 3 geographically defined Health Service regions of England-the West Midlands, North West and Yorkshire. From 1980-83 interviews were completed with the parents of 555 children who were diagnosed with malignant disease under 15 years …