What Methods are Used to Investigate Cancer Clusters?

Several epidemiological methods are used to investigate cancer clusters:

Descriptive studies: These studies outline the basic features of the cluster, such as the number of cases, types of cancer, and demographic information.
Ecological studies: These studies examine the relationship between cancer occurrence and environmental exposures at the population level.
Case-control studies: These studies compare individuals with cancer (cases) to those without (controls) to identify potential risk factors.
Cohort studies: These studies follow a group of people over time to see if they develop cancer, comparing those exposed to a potential risk factor to those who are not.