title: Confounders and confusion: Dealing with cancer cases of occupational origin.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The recognition of occupational cancers is often hampered by confusion between the individual determinants of the disease and effects at the group level.
  
  
  METHODS
  Here we propose an approach, based on the evaluation of the attributable risk at the group level, that provides quantitative estimates of the roles of multiple causes in individuals affected of cancer within a population exposed to occupational risk.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The estimate of individual probability can be easily obtained computing the attributable risk. This can be often achieved by using the existing information available in the literature.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Dismissing the occupation as a cause of a cancer in an exposed subject on the sole basis of potential confounding is erroneous and should be withdrawn from medical practice.
authors.affiliation: Fondazione IRCCS Istituto dei Tumori, Milano, Italy. occam@istitutotumori.mi.it
authors.forename: Paolo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Crosignani
authors.forename: Plinio
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Amendola
authors.forename: Alessandra
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Scaburri
authors.forename: Giovanni
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Chiappino
authors.forename: Alessandro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Marinaccio
mesh_terms: D015984:Causality; D015986:Confounding Factors, Epidemiologic; D003627:Data Interpretation, Statistical; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000401:mortality; D009784:Occupational Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000401:mortality; D016273:Occupational Exposure / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012307:Risk Factors