Father's occupation and colorectal cancer in his adult offspring.
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BACKGROUND: Growing evidence suggests transmission of colorectal cancer risk through the maternal line. There is scant information about transmission through the paternal line, despite plausible evidence from mammal experiments. METHODS: We examined the association between paternal occupation and colorectal cancer in the Child Health and Development Studies, a multigenerational cohort followed for 60 years. Pregnant mothers completed in-person interviews at enrollment (1959-1966) and reported demographic and health-related information for her and her husband, including occupation. Colorectal cancer in adult (age ≥18 years) offspring was ascertained from a population-based cancer registry. Cox proportional hazards models were used to estimate adjusted hazard ratios (aHRs), with follow-up accrued from birth through cancer diagnosis, death, or last contact. RESULTS: Paternal occupations included 37.0% professional, technical, or managerial; 13.7% clerical or sales; 30.5% crafts or operative; and 17.5% service work or labor. Over 716 133.5 person-years of follow-up, 79 offspring were diagnosed with colorectal cancer (median age at diagnosis: 50 years [range = 23-59 years]). Offspring of fathers employed in crafts, operative, service, or labor occupations had higher incidence rates of colorectal cancer (15.66 per 100 000 person-years; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 11.47 to 20.89) compared with professional, technical, or managerial occupations (6.84 per 100 000 person-years; 95% CI = 3.73 to 11.47). Risk associated with these occupations remained elevated after adjustment for maternal race, paternal education, and offspring year of birth (aHR = 1.99; 95% CI = 1.03 to 3.87). CONCLUSION: Our findings support the possible transmission of cancer risk through the paternal line.