Trial Information

Genetic Variation in the Folate Pathway and Risk of Pediatric Brain Cancers

The prenatal period is a developmentally vulnerable time point during which environmental
conditions, including nutrition, can have life-long impacts on health.1,2 This is
particularly relevant to many childhood cancers that are thought to initiate during
pregnancy.3 As a consequence, there has been intense interest in whether prenatal exposures
can modulate childhood cancer risk.4-6 It is important to recognize that both maternal and
offspring genetic factors including those in nutritional pathways may play an important role
in pediatric cancer risk through their effect on the child's exposure to nutrients important
in development during the prenatal period. The purpose of this research study is to evaluate
whether there are any maternal or offspring genetic factors in the folate pathway that may
contribute to the development of brain tumors in children with Neurofibromatosis Type 1
through analysis of DNA samples collected from families.