Children of 'hot' men risk cancer

[Guest guest]

Children born to fathers who were exposed to excessive heat around

the time of conception are at increased risk of brain cancer, a US

study shows.

Men who used saunas, hot tubs and electric blankets were more likely

to father children who went on to develop brain tumours, researchers

found.

 

Experts already know that heat can damage sperm and harm a man's

fertility.

 

The latest work appears in the American Journal of Epidemiology.

 

Saunas and electric blankets can also reduce the chances of

conception so if would-be fathers are concerned then they should

avoid these while trying for a baby

 

Dr Kat Arney of Cancer Research UK

 

The authors, from the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, studied

the parents of 318 healthy children and the parents of 318 children

with two types of brain cancer called medulloblastoma and primitive

neuroectodermal tumour.

 

Brain tumours in children are rare. But these are two of the most

common types.

 

The parents were asked to recall the frequency of exposure to several

sources of excessive heat around the time they had conceived their

children.

 

The researchers discovered heat exposure among the men in the three

months before the pregnancy appeared to be linked to brain cancer

risk among the children, even when other lifestyle factors, such as

the father's age and smoking status, were taken into account.

 

Heat exposure in the mother however did not appear to be important.

 

Sperm damage

 

Dr Greta Bunin and colleagues say a likely explanation for their

findings is that heat damages the genetic material within sperm,

which means cancer-causing genetic mutations are passed on to any

offspring.

 

Normal sperm production requires a body temperature three to four

degrees lower than normal body temperature.

 

But they said the idea that paternal heat exposure before a child's

conception could increase the risk of these brain cancers must be

considered speculative until more proof of this is found.

 

" This is worth investigating further, as so little is known about the

aetiology [causes] of childhood brain tumours, " they said.

 

Dr Kat Arney, science information officer at Cancer Research UK,

said: " Childhood brain cancer is rare and we know little about its

causes.

 

" Primitive neuroectodermal tumour is the third most common kind of

brain cancer. There are fewer than 100 cases of PNET every year in

the UK.

 

" Heat sources such as saunas and electric blankets can also reduce

the chances of conception so if would-be fathers are concerned then

they should avoid these while trying for a baby. "