Documents Olshan, Andrew F. 2 results

Background Recall bias remains a concern in case-control studies, although few investigations have found evidence of differential recall. This study examined whether differences in occupational exposure reporting occur in volunteered vs. prompted questionnaire responses. Methods In a large, population-based, case-control study of a childhood cancer, neuroblastoma, we calculated odds ratios for broad occupational exposure groups on the assumption that in the absence of recall bias, risk estimates for such broad groupings should be close to the null value. Results Prompted exposures and work activities showed little evidence of differential recall by parents of cases and controls (all OR < 1.2), but case parents were more likely to volunteer information about other exposures or activities (ORs: 1.35-1.71). Case mothers were also more likely than control mothers to report activities involving indirect exposure (OR = 1.41). Conclusions These findings suggest that prompted exposure questions are less likely to be subject to recall bias than open-ended questions.

"We considered whether there are discrete windows of vulnerability in the development of cancer and which time periods may be of the greatest importance. Cancer was considered broadly, including cancers in childhood as well as adult cancers that may have an in utero or childhood origin. We concluded that there was evidence from animal and epidemiologic studies for causal relationships for preconceptional, in utero, and childhood exposures and cancer occurrence in children and adults. However, the evidence is incomplete and all relevant critical windows may not have been identified. The comprehensive evaluation of the relative importance of specific time windows of exposure is limited. Improvements in the design of epidemiologic studies and additional animal studies of mechanisms are warranted."