Perinatal exposure to ambient fine particle air pollution and risk of childhood ewing sarcoma in a population-based case-control study in California (1988–2015)

Abstract Background Incidence of childhood Ewing sarcoma, a rare cancer affecting bones and soft tissues, is increasing. Environmental exposures during the perinatal period, like air pollution, may play a role. We examined exposure to perinatal ambient fine particulate matter (PM2.5) and childhood E...

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Main Authors: Cassandra J. Clark, Rong Wang, Joseph L. Wiemels, Catherine Metayer, Nicole C. Deziel, Xiaomei Ma
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: BMC 2025-03-01
Series:Environmental Health
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1186/s12940-025-01159-6
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author Cassandra J. Clark
Rong Wang
Joseph L. Wiemels
Catherine Metayer
Nicole C. Deziel
Xiaomei Ma
author_facet Cassandra J. Clark
Rong Wang
Joseph L. Wiemels
Catherine Metayer
Nicole C. Deziel
Xiaomei Ma
author_sort Cassandra J. Clark
collection DOAJ
description Abstract Background Incidence of childhood Ewing sarcoma, a rare cancer affecting bones and soft tissues, is increasing. Environmental exposures during the perinatal period, like air pollution, may play a role. We examined exposure to perinatal ambient fine particulate matter (PM2.5) and childhood Ewing sarcoma risk in a case-control linkage study nested within a California birth cohort. Methods The study included 388 children born in California (1982–2015) and diagnosed with Ewing sarcoma at age 0–19 years (1988–2015), and 19,341 California-born cancer-free controls frequency-matched to cases on birth year (50:1 ratio). Ambient PM2.5 concentrations at the maternal residence were averaged separately over two time periods, gestation and the first year after birth, using a validated ensemble-based model (categorized as quartiles). We estimated odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for the association between perinatal PM2.5 exposure and Ewing sarcoma risk, adjusting for sex, birth year, race, ethnicity, birth weight, and maternal education and stratifying by Hispanic ethnicity to assess potential disparities in PM2.5-related cancer risk. Results In the overall population, perinatal ambient PM2.5 exposure was not associated with Ewing sarcoma risk when considering exposure during gestation or the year after birth. Among Hispanic children, who experienced greater air pollution exposure compared to non-Hispanic children, higher PM2.5 levels during gestation yielded elevated odds of Ewing sarcoma compared to the first quartile (Q2 OR [95% CI] = 1.53 [0.94–2.51]; Q3 = 1.56 [0.95–2.56]; Q4 = 1.39 [0.79–2.47]). Hispanic children also experienced elevated risk in relation to exposure during the year after birth. Conclusion Our results provide new suggestive evidence that ambient PM2.5 may contribute to Ewing sarcoma risk, although these findings were not statistically significant and were specific to Hispanic children. These findings require replication and underscore the need to further evaluate the potential role of ethnicity in the PM2.5-cancer relationship with genetic ancestry measures and through the lens of environmental justice.
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spelling doaj-art-2b2a04c283d74c6eadaf8f615a707d062025-08-20T03:05:45ZengBMCEnvironmental Health1476-069X2025-03-0124111110.1186/s12940-025-01159-6Perinatal exposure to ambient fine particle air pollution and risk of childhood ewing sarcoma in a population-based case-control study in California (1988–2015)Cassandra J. Clark0Rong Wang1Joseph L. Wiemels2Catherine Metayer3Nicole C. Deziel4Xiaomei Ma5Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Yale School of Public HealthDepartment of Chronic Disease Epidemiology, Yale School of Public HealthCenter for Genetic Epidemiology, Department of Population and Public Health Sciences, University of Southern CaliforniaDivision of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, University of CaliforniaDepartment of Environmental Health Sciences, Yale School of Public HealthDepartment of Chronic Disease Epidemiology, Yale School of Public HealthAbstract Background Incidence of childhood Ewing sarcoma, a rare cancer affecting bones and soft tissues, is increasing. Environmental exposures during the perinatal period, like air pollution, may play a role. We examined exposure to perinatal ambient fine particulate matter (PM2.5) and childhood Ewing sarcoma risk in a case-control linkage study nested within a California birth cohort. Methods The study included 388 children born in California (1982–2015) and diagnosed with Ewing sarcoma at age 0–19 years (1988–2015), and 19,341 California-born cancer-free controls frequency-matched to cases on birth year (50:1 ratio). Ambient PM2.5 concentrations at the maternal residence were averaged separately over two time periods, gestation and the first year after birth, using a validated ensemble-based model (categorized as quartiles). We estimated odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for the association between perinatal PM2.5 exposure and Ewing sarcoma risk, adjusting for sex, birth year, race, ethnicity, birth weight, and maternal education and stratifying by Hispanic ethnicity to assess potential disparities in PM2.5-related cancer risk. Results In the overall population, perinatal ambient PM2.5 exposure was not associated with Ewing sarcoma risk when considering exposure during gestation or the year after birth. Among Hispanic children, who experienced greater air pollution exposure compared to non-Hispanic children, higher PM2.5 levels during gestation yielded elevated odds of Ewing sarcoma compared to the first quartile (Q2 OR [95% CI] = 1.53 [0.94–2.51]; Q3 = 1.56 [0.95–2.56]; Q4 = 1.39 [0.79–2.47]). Hispanic children also experienced elevated risk in relation to exposure during the year after birth. Conclusion Our results provide new suggestive evidence that ambient PM2.5 may contribute to Ewing sarcoma risk, although these findings were not statistically significant and were specific to Hispanic children. These findings require replication and underscore the need to further evaluate the potential role of ethnicity in the PM2.5-cancer relationship with genetic ancestry measures and through the lens of environmental justice.https://doi.org/10.1186/s12940-025-01159-6
spellingShingle Cassandra J. Clark
Rong Wang
Joseph L. Wiemels
Catherine Metayer
Nicole C. Deziel
Xiaomei Ma
Perinatal exposure to ambient fine particle air pollution and risk of childhood ewing sarcoma in a population-based case-control study in California (1988–2015)
Environmental Health
title Perinatal exposure to ambient fine particle air pollution and risk of childhood ewing sarcoma in a population-based case-control study in California (1988–2015)
title_full Perinatal exposure to ambient fine particle air pollution and risk of childhood ewing sarcoma in a population-based case-control study in California (1988–2015)
title_fullStr Perinatal exposure to ambient fine particle air pollution and risk of childhood ewing sarcoma in a population-based case-control study in California (1988–2015)
title_full_unstemmed Perinatal exposure to ambient fine particle air pollution and risk of childhood ewing sarcoma in a population-based case-control study in California (1988–2015)
title_short Perinatal exposure to ambient fine particle air pollution and risk of childhood ewing sarcoma in a population-based case-control study in California (1988–2015)
title_sort perinatal exposure to ambient fine particle air pollution and risk of childhood ewing sarcoma in a population based case control study in california 1988 2015
url https://doi.org/10.1186/s12940-025-01159-6
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