Tobacco smoke childhood cancer

Children are at greater risk than adults for many cancers. Leukemia and brain cancer account for half of all childhood cancers. The causes of these cancers are often obscure, but research has shown that in utero exposures can start the carcinogenic process that becomes fully manifest after birth. Mixtures of chemicals, most notably tobacco smoke and pesticides, are known causative childhood cancer agents. Other chemical mixtures identified as carcinogenic to children are examined in the next chapter on cancer clusters. 

A distinct relation between parental occupational exposure and childhood cancer was shown for solvents and paints. High parental exposure resulted in higher incidences of childhood cancers. In the same study, however, generally more cancers were found as a result of parental use of alcohol and tobacco smoke. Childhood leukemia and nervous system cancers, in particular, are the types suspected to be caused by parental exposure to paints and solvents. Kishi et al. described an elevated risk for acute lymphatic leukemia in children of mothers with prenatal exposures to benzene and to paints. In former studies with small numbers of children these tendencies could also be shown, mainly in male painters whose children showed a higher incidence of childhood leukemia and brain tumors. 18.3.4.2.4 Respiratory effects... 

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