Problems encountered in the design of epidemiologic studies of cancer in pesticide users
Blondell, J.M.
La Medicina del Lavoro 81(6): 524-529
1990
ISSN/ISBN: 0025-7818 PMID: 2100769 Document Number: 364164
Epidemiological studies of cancer in pesticide users suffer from 3 main difficulties: lack of appropriate controls, exposure ascertainment, and exposure to multiple pesticides. Principles of control selection are discussed in the context of cohort and case-control studies. Residence on a farm is associated with unique dietary and lifestyle factors which are important to account for in case-control studies of pesticide users on farms. Exposure ascertainment methods include information collected from job descriptions, interviews, pesticide suppliers, expert panels, application records, passive dosimetry, and biological monitoring. Sensitive methods based on cell receptor-pesticide complexes have been proposed, but have not yet been validated and field tested as methods of quantitative exposure assessment. Examination of studies which successfully helped demonstrate cancer causation is suggested as a means of determining which epidemiological methods are most fruitful and efficient at identifying human carcinogens.