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Role of Registers in Occupational Cancer Control

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Occupational Cancers

Abstract

During the twentieth century, register data have become increasingly important for the identification and quantification of occupational cancer risks and thereby for occupational cancer control. Registers can provide non-differential information on occupation, exposure, death, disease, and a number of potential confounders, for cohorts, cases, and reference groups. National registers of high quality may secure completeness, representativity, and independent data, which may help to reduce bias in risk estimates. The Nordic countries are known for population and disease registers of high quality, available for statistical purposes and studies based on linkage. Worldwide, the last decades have shown a tendency toward more emphasis on protection of personal data (autonomy), which has been seen to hamper the establishment of new registers and the conduct of epidemiologic research. For further improvement of health care and cancer control, the best of register data needs to be combined with improved information on exposure and with additional data from biological specimens.

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Correspondence to Tom K. Grimsrud MD, PhD .

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Grimsrud, T.K., Weiderpass, E. (2014). Role of Registers in Occupational Cancer Control. In: Anttila, S., Boffetta, P. (eds) Occupational Cancers. Springer, London. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4471-2825-0_33

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