It is possible that a suspected cancer cluster may be due to chance alone however, only clusters that have a disease rate that is statistically significantly greater than the disease rate of the general population are investigated. In the U.S., state and local health departments respond to more than 1,000 inquiries about suspected cancer clusters each year. At this point, a committee of medical professionals will examine the data and determine whether or not an investigation (often lengthy and expensive) is justified. Data will be collected and verified regarding: the types of cancer reported, numbers of cases, geographic area of the cases, and the patients clinical history. In order to justify investigating such claims, health departments conduct a preliminary review. State or local health departments will investigate the possibility of a cancer cluster when a claim is filed. Ĭancer cluster suspicions usually arise when members of the general public report that their family members, friends, neighbors, or coworkers have been diagnosed with the same or related cancers. Notable examples include: scrotal cancer among chimney sweeps in 18th century London osteosarcoma among female watch dial painters in the 20th century skin cancer in farmers bladder cancer in dye workers exposed to aniline compounds and leukemia and lymphoma in chemical workers exposed to benzene. Historical examples of work-related cancer clusters are well documented in the medical literature. A cancer cluster is a disease cluster in which a high number of cancer cases occurs in a group of people in a particular geographic area over a limited period of time.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |