Risk of cancer in migrants and their descendants in Israel: I. Leukaemias and lymphomas

Cancer registrations among young individuals (under age 30 years) for the 30-year period 1960-1989 were used to investigate the risk of leukaemia and lymphoma in migrants to Israel, and in their offspring, relative to Israel-born individuals with Israel-born parents. Relative risks by the father's continent of origin, and odds ratios by continent of origin of mother or both parents, adjusted for age, sex and period, were estimated. The leukaemias showed little variation in risk by birthplace, and no change between generations. For non-Hodgkin lymphoma, however, there were quite large differences in incidence, with relatively high rates in migrants from Asia and Africa. These persisted to some degree into the second generation, suggesting that inherited susceptibility may underlie some of the variation.