Sharing the knowledge gained from occupational cohort studies: a call for action.

Objectives: An immense body of knowledge has been created by establishing various job-exposure matrices (JEMs) to assess occupational exposures in community- and industry-based cohort studies. These JEMs could be made available to occupational epidemiologists using knowledge-sharing technologies, thereby saving considerable amounts of time and money for researchers investigating occupation-related research questions. In this paper, the authors give an example of how a detailed JEM can be easily transformed into a job-specific module (JSM) for use in community-based studies.

Exposure to metal-working fluids in the automobile industry and the risk of male germ cell tumours.

Introduction: In a previous analysis of a case-control study of testicular cancer nested in a cohort of automobile workers, we observed an increased risk for testicular cancer among workers who had ever been involved in occupational metal-cutting tasks. We investigated whether this risk increase was due to exposure to metal-working fluids (MWF).

Methods: Occupational exposure to MWF was assessed in detail using a job-specific questionnaire for metal-cutting work.

Development and evaluation of a tool for retrospective exposure assessment of selected endocrine disrupting chemicals and EMF in the car manufacturing industry.

Objectives: A system for retrospective occupational exposure assessment combining the efficiency of a job exposure matrix (JEM) and the precision of a subsequent individual expert exposure assessment (IEEA) was developed. All steps of the exposure assessment were performed by an interdisciplinary expert panel in the context of a case-control study on male germ cell cancer nested in the car manufacturing industries.

Methods: An industry-specific JEM was developed and automatic exposure estimation was performed based on this JEM.

Case-control study of male germ cell tumors nested in a cohort of car-manufacturing workers: Findings from the occupational history.

Background: To examine whether the previously observed excess risk of male germ cell cancer in a cohort of car-manufacturing workers can be attributed to occupational activities inside and/or outside the car industry.

Methods: A nested case-control study among workers in six plants included 205 cases of germ cell cancer and 1,105 controls, individually matched by year of birth (±2 years). Job periods of the individual occupational histories were coded based on the International Standard Classification of Occupations (ISCO) and the industrial classification of economic activities (NACE).

Asbestos exposure and malignant lymphoma: a multicenter case-control study in Germany and Italy.

Aims: To analyze the relationship between asbestos exposure and malignant lymphoma in a multicenter case-control study conducted in Germany and Italy according to a common core protocol.

Methods: Male and female patients with malignant lymphoma (n = 1,034) between 18 and 80 years of age were prospectively recruited in six study areas in Germany (Ludwigshafen/Upper Palatinate, Heidelberg/Rhine-Neckar-County, Würzburg/Lower Frankonia, Hamburg, Bielefeld/East Westphalia, and Munich) and in two study areas in Sardinia, Italy (Cagliari and Nuoro provinces). A total of 1,173 population control subjects were drawn from population registers.

Solvent exposure and malignant lymphoma: a population-based case-control study in Germany.

Aims: To analyze the relationship between exposure to chlorinated and aromatic organic solvents and malignant lymphoma in a multi-centre, population-based case-control study.

Methods: Male and female patients with malignant lymphoma (n = 710) between 18 and 80 years of age were prospectively recruited in six study regions in Germany (Ludwigshafen/Upper Palatinate, Heidelberg/Rhine-Neckar-County, Würzburg/Lower Frankonia, Hamburg, Bielefeld/Gütersloh, and Munich). For each newly recruited lymphoma case, a gender, region and age-matched (+/- 1 year of birth) population control was drawn from the population registers.

Sun exposure and malignant lymphoma: a population-based case-control study in Germany.

Although some causes for malignant lymphoma are known their etiology is not well understood so far. We analyze the relationship between sun exposure and malignant lymphoma in a multicenter, population-based case-control study. Patients with malignant lymphoma (n = 710, 18-80 years) were prospectively recruited in 6 study regions in Germany.