Brain tumors: the risk increases with the level of studies

A high level of education is linked to an increased risk of brain tumor, according to a extensive study published this Monday in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health. This work by University College London (United Kingdom) and the Karolinska Institute (Sweden) suggests that glioma, the most common brain cancer, affects graduates of a bachelor’s degree more than people who are not. never been to college.

To reach this disturbing conclusion, British and Swedish researchers studied the medical records of more than 4.3 million Swedes born between 1911 and 1961. At the same time, scientists collected information on these participants (marital status, level of education, income) from health insurance between 1993 and 2010.

During the 17-year follow-up, 5,735 men and 7,101 women developed brain tumors. The researchers’ analysis found that men who studied at least 3 years at university have a 19% increased risk of developing glioma compared to men who dropped out of high school. In female graduates, the risk of glioma is increased by 23% and the risk of developing a meningioma, a benign tumor, by 16% compared to graduates.

No cause and effect link

The profession of the participants also seems to have an impact. Men in leadership roles are 20% more likely to develop glioma and 50% more likely to have acoustic neuroma (a tumor of the auditory nerve) than those in manual labor. For women, this influence is even more pronounced with a risk of glioma of 26% for female managers. In addition, these studies show a link between a high income and the increased risk of glioma, and this, only in men.

The researchers indicate that this work is observational and cannot lead to cause-and-effect conclusions. This increased risk of glioma could be linked to behavioral factors not taken into account in this study. Further work will therefore be necessary to explain this link.