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.