Foetal loss and infant deaths in families of children with soft‐tissue sarcoma

Distribution of miscarriages, stillbirths and infant deaths in the families of a population‐based series of children with soft‐tissue sarcoma was examined in relation to index case histology (rhabdomyosarcoma or other soft‐tissue sarcoma) and to the possible presence of genetic predisposition to cancer in the families (Li‐Fraumeni syndrome or neurofibromatosis). Reproductive loss was not related to index histology (miscarriages, p = 0.3; all losses, p = 0.6) but was significantly higher in “genetic” rather than “sporadic” families (miscarriages, p = 0.02; all losses, p = 0.01). However, excess reproductive loss was not a feature of families with the Li‐Fraumeni syndrome, but appeared to be concentrated in the families affected by neurofibromatosis.