Why do an online Change Laboratory?

This technical submission was created collaboratively, by a group of researchers united by shared interests and experiences in conducting research online using the Change Laboratory methodology. Our current contribution seeks to inform and engage colleagues, setting out a collaborative response to a relatively unsophisticated yet reflexive and timely question: Why do an online Change Laboratory? To us, it seems that this question could be interpreted in multiple ways: why should people become involved in an online Change Laboratory, as discrete from an onsite Change Laboratory; why should people become involved in an online Change Laboratory, as discrete from using other online options; or why should people become involved in any type of research-intervention at all. As individual researcher-interventionists, who meet regularly to share our experiences and interests in online Change Laboratories, we also interpret this question in multiple ways, and we hope that our collaborative response reflects our diversity of thought (a closing section of this paper described how we worked in its production). We seek to encourage colleagues to further explore these and other questions about online Change Laboratories, and we call for others to join us in purposeful conversations to advance the methodology

Breast cancer and occupational and environmental exposure to solvents

Introdução: O câncer de mama é o segundo câncer mais incidente no mundo e o mais freqüente entre as mulheres, entretanto, sua etiologia continua desconhecida. O câncer de mama está associado a múltiplos fatores de risco, dentre eles, os fatores ocupacionais e ambientais. Objetivo: Fazer revisão bibliográfica sobre câncer de mama e exposição ocupacional e ambiental a solventes. Método: Artigos em inglês, português e espanhol foram selecionados no Pubmed e no Latin American and Caribbean Center on Health Sciences Information LILACS entre dezembro de 1981 a março de 2011. Os termos utilizados foram: breast cancer, breast neoplasm, solvent, occupational exposure and environment exposure. Foram excluídos os artigos sobre fatores genéticos, marcadores biológicos, polimorfismos, campos eletromagnéticos e nutrição. Baseado na revisão bibliográfica foi construído questionário sobre o tema e realizado teste com 29 casos e 29 controles, em um hospital da cidade de Santo André SP. Resultados: Não foram identificados artigos no Lilacs. No Pubmed foram encontrados 39 artigos. Após as exclusões 33 estudos foram selecionados: 11 casos-controle, 12 revisões, 09 coorte e 01 transversal. Em 21 artigos os autores identificaram alguma evidência de associação para os compostos alquilfenólicos, solventes orgânicos, PAHs, benzeno, estireno e percloretileno, possivelmente explicado por uma ação genotóxica direta ou através de seus metabólitos, especialmente quando as exposições ocorrem nos períodos proliferativos das células mamárias, nos carcinomas com receptores de estrógeno e progesterona negativos. Quanto ao questionário, 74 por cento dos casos e 80 por cento dos controles relataram uso de produtos químicos no trabalho sendo que 45 por cento dos casos e 55 por cento dos controles se expuseram a solventes. 62,1 por cento das participantes colaboram muito bem com a pesquisa, apesar de que, quanto ao detalhamento das respostas, 17,2 por cento das entrevistas apresentaram algumas partes duvidosas. A história ocupacional obtida através do questionário foi classificada como confiável em 67,2 por cento das entrevistas. Conclusão: Há limitadas evidências de associação entre os solventes e o câncer de mama. São necessárias mais pesquisas, com atenção para as diferenças histopatológicas, imuno-histoquímicas e genéticas das neoplasias de mama. O questionário desenvolvido precisa ser aprimorado para melhorar a confiabilidade das respostasIntroduction: Breast cancer is the most incident cancer among women in the world. However its etiology is still unknown. Multiple risk factors have been described. Occupational and environmental factors may play a role in the carcinogenesis. Objective: To make a literature review of the occupational and environmental risk factors for breast cancer. Methods: Breast cancer studies written in English, Portuguese and Spanish were identified through Pubmed and Latin American and Caribbean Center on Health Sciences Information LILACS from December 1981 to March 2011. The keywords used for the search in titles were: breast cancer, breast neoplasm, solvent, occupational exposure and environment exposure. Articles about genetic factors, biological markers, polymorphisms, electromagnetic fields and nutrition were excluded. Results: No articles were identified in Lilacs and 39 in Pubmed. After exclusions 33 studies were selected: 11 case-controls, 12 reviews, 09 cohorts and 01 cross-sectional. In 21 articles the authors identified some evidence of association for alkylphenolic compounds, organic solvents, PAH, benzene, styrene and perchloroethylene, possibly explained by a direct genotoxic action of the solvents or indirectly through their metabolites, especially when expositions happen during the proliferative period of the mammary cells, with estrogen and progesterone negative breast cancer receptors. 74 per cent cases and 80 per cent controls were exposed to chemicals in the workplace. 45 per cent cases and 55 per cent controls were exposed to solvents. 62 per cent participants collaborated very well with the research, although details regarding the responses of 17 per cent were uncertain. Occupational history obtained from the questionnaire was rated as trustworthy in 67 per cent of interviews. Conclusions: There is limited evidence of an association between solvents and breast cancer. More studies must be conducted to better understand the association between breast cancer and solvents, paying attention to hormone receptors, histopathological characteristics and BRCA1/ BRCA2 genes. The questionnaire needs to be enhanced to improve the reliability or response