Abstract
In their review of occupational risk factors for cutaneous malignant melanoma (CMM), Austin and Reynolds note that studies of the occupational etiology of CMM have been “plagued by the problem of small numbers” [1]. For example, occupational clusters identified in any one work place are usually too small to adjust for nonoccupational confounding or to examine for the modifying effects of time-related variables. Therefore, such occupational clusters cannot be definitively attributed either to occupational risks or to unequal distribution of nonoccupational factors between cases and controls. Further, small samples limit the ability to determine whether potential exposure variables show different relationships to case status during different time periods. Such time-varying relationships may help identify etiologic agents.
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Schwartzbaum, J.A., Setzer, R.W., Kupper, L.L. (1994). Methods for evaluating confounding and effect modification in a small occupational study of cutaneous malignant melanoma. In: Gallagher, R.P., Elwood, J.M. (eds) Epidemiological Aspects of Cutaneous Malignant Melanoma. Developments in Oncology, vol 73. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4615-2626-1_11
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4615-2626-1_11
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