A Case-Referent Study of Brain Tumors in Adults
Condition: Brain Tumors
MeSH terms: Brain Neoplasms
Study type: Observational

Summary: 
      The etiology of brain tumors is poorly understood. Due, in part, to public concern about a
      postulated relationship between the use of cellular telephones or other increasingly
      prevalent environmental exposures and the incidence of brain cancer in adults, the National
      Cancer Institute is collaborating with three U.S. hospitals in a comprehensive case-control
      study of malignant and benign brain tumors. Factors under consideration include use of
      cellular phones and other wireless communication devices, workplace exposures to chemical
      agents and electromagnetic fields, dietary factors, family history of tumors, genetic
      determinants of susceptibility, home appliance use, reproductive history and hormonal
      exposures, viruses, medical and dental exposure to ionizing radiation, and other aspects of
      medical history.

      Approximately 800 newly diagnosed brain tumor cases and 800 controls have been enrolled at
      hospitals in Boston, Phoenix and Pittsburgh. Cases include all adults (age greater than or
      equal to 18 years) newly diagnosed with a histologically confirmed intracranial glioma,
      intracranial meningioma or acoustic neuroma. Controls are patients admitted to the same
      hospitals as the cases, and treated for any of a variety of non-malignant conditions.
      Participating cases and controls were interviewed in the hospital by a research nurse and
      asked to complete a self-administered questionnaire and donate a sample of blood. Key
      features of the study include its large size, the emphasis on rapid ascertainment of incident
      cases and interview of study subjects rather than surrogate respondents, the use of detailed,
      job-specific questions developed by industrial hygienists to ascertain occupational
      exposures, and the storage of blood samples for future evaluation of inherited
      susceptibility, biomarkers of exposure and gene-environment interactions.

      Implementation of the study protocol proceeded without serious problems. There have been no
      harmful effects on study participants. There have been no complaints from participants or
      breaches of confidentiality. Continuation of this research involves analysis and reporting of
      results. As there will be many papers, this process is expected to extend over the next
      several years.
    

Detailed description: 
      The etiology of brain tumors is poorly understood. Due, in part, to public concern about a
      postulated relationship between the use of cellular telephones or other increasingly
      prevalent environmental exposures and the incidence of brain cancer in adults. The National
      Cancer Institute is collaborating with three US hospitals in a comprehensive case-control
      study of malignant and benign brain tumors. Factors under consideration include the use of
      cellular phones and other wireless communication devices, workplace exposures to chemical
      agents and electromagnetic fields, dietary factors, family history of tumors, genetic
      determinants of susceptibility, home appliance use, reproductive history and hormonal
      exposures, viruses, medical and dental exposures to ionizing radiation, and other aspects of
      medical history.

      Approximately 800 newly diagnosed brain tumor cases and 800 controls have been enrolled at
      hospitals in Boston, Phoenix, and Pittsburgh. Cases include all adults (age age greater than
      or equal to 18 years) newly diagnosed with a histologically confirmed intracranial giloma,
      intracranial meningioma or acoustic neuroma. Controls are patients admitted to the same
      hospitals as the cases, and treated for any of a variety of non-malignant conditions.
      Participating cases and controls were interviewed in the hospital by a research nurse and
      asked to complete a self-administered questionnaire and donate a sample of blood. Key
      features of the study include its large size, the emphasis on rapid ascertainment of incident
      cases and interview of study subjects rather than surrogate respondents, the use of detailed,
      job-specific questions developed by industrial hygienists to ascertain occupational exposures
      and gene-environment interactions.

      Implementation of the study protocol proceeded without serious problems. There have been no
      harmful effects on study participants. There have been no complaints from participants or
      breaches of confidentiality. Continuation of this research involves analysis and reporting of
      results. Numerous publications have resulted from the study and analyses are ongoing.
    

Observational model: Case-Control
Time perspective: Retrospective
Keywords: Etiology; Brain Cancer; Epidemiology; Brain Tumors; Glioma