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APHA Scientific Session and Event Listing

Roland C. Wong, MSc, MD, FRCPC¹, Niki Carlan², Kreso Botic³, Georgina Anderson⁴, June Hird⁴, Vince Arbour⁴, Marge Waller⁵, Paul Sampara, MEng, ROH⁶, and George Tomlinson, PhD⁷. (1) Occupational Health Clinics for Ontario Workers, 970 Lawrence Ave. West, Suite 110, Toronto, ON M6A 3B6, Canada, 416 5068768, wong261@yahoo.com, (2) Sociology and Anthropology, University of Windsor, 401 Sunset Ave, Windsor, ON N9B 3P4, Canada, (3) Health and Safety Department, Canadian Auto Workers, 205 Placer Court, Toronto, ON M2H 3H9, Canada, (4) Canadian Auto Workers Local 27, 606 First St, London, ON N5V 2A2, Canada, (5) Occupational Health Clinics for Ontario, 3-380 Adelaide St. N, London, ON N6B 3P6, Canada, (6) Occupational Disease and Survivor Benefits Program, Workplace Safety and Insurance Board, 4th floor, 200 Front St. West, Toronto, ON M5V 3J1, Canada, (7) University Health Network, Department of Medicine, Eaton Bldg 13 th floor, Rm 238, 200 Elizabeth Street, Toronto, ON M5G 2C4, Canada

Objective: To (a) use the Participatory Action Research (PAR) approach in studying a cluster of cancer cases and (b) investigate on possible excess rates of brain cancer, among a group of automotive parts manufacturing plant workers and (c) develop workers' training materials on how to investigate cancer clusters.

Methods: Worker researchers were trained on research methods. Former plant workers participated in hazard mapping in a town hall meeting. The cohort was matched with a Cancer Registry. An opinion survey evaluated workers acceptance of the study.

Results: Five hundred and fifty-six records were matched with Cancer Care Ontario. Thirty-seven incident cancers were detected. Malignant neoplasm of the brain was detected in one worker in the cohort. Among the four brain cancers one was a primary cancer, two were secondary cancers and one was an eye cancer. Lung cancer was found in 4 workers, breast cancer in 7 workers and prostate cancer in 6 workers.

Conclusion: A Participatory Action Research model can be used to study cancer clusters. Workers in general accepted the PAR method. They felt that the study was done honestly. A handbook to train workers in cancer cluster research will be available shortly. The perception of a cluster of primary brain cancer is not supported at this time. The lack of a positive association does not mean that there is an absence of cancer caused by the workplace; there are deficiencies in the cohort assembly and follow-up as well as a relatively young cohort and a short latency time.

Learning Objectives:

• 1.How workers participate in research
• 2.Describe what is Participatory Action Research (PAR)
• 3.PAR applied to cancer cluster research
• 4.Describe the best media to reach workers

Keywords: Community Participation, Cancer

Related Web page: www.ohcow.on.ca/resources/workbooks.html

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Not Answered