Are "further studies" really needed? If so, which ones?
The association between residential radon exposure and the risk of childhood leukemia reported in this issue of Epidemiology may-or may not-justify further studies to confirm this finding. Such decisions could benefit from a more systematic approach than researchers ordinarily use. Furthermore, when considering the possibility of replication studies, epidemiologists need a new strategy-one that explores more explicitly the improvements and the additional study features that would be required to produce a more meaningful answer.
Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27599-7435, USA. andy_olshan@unc.edu
Andrew F
AF
Olshan
D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D004781:Environmental Exposure / Q000009:adverse effects; D004813:Epidemiology / Q000592:standards*; D006801:Humans; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology; D011886:Radon / Q000009:adverse effects; D012106:Research
D011886:Radon