Debra Hughes

The association between noise exposure and increased risk of cancer has received little attention in the field of research. Therefore, the goal of this study was to conduct a systematic review on the relationship between noise exposure and the incidence of cancer in humans. In this study, four electronic bibliographic databases including Scopus, PubMed, Web of Science, and Embase were systematically searched up to 21 April 2022. All types of noise exposure were considered, including environmental noise, occupational noise, and leisure or recreational noise. Furthermore, all types of cancers were studied, regardless of the organs involved. In total, 1836 articles were excluded on the basis of containing exclusion criteria or lacking inclusion criteria, leaving 19 articles retained for this study. Five of nine case-control studies showed a significant relationship between occupational or leisure noise exposure and acoustic neuroma. Moreover, four of five case-control and cohort studies indicated statistically significant relationships between environmental noise exposure and breast cancer. Of other cancer types, two case-control studies highlighted the risk of Hodgkin and non-Hodgkin lymphoma and two cohort studies identified an increased risk of colon cancer associated with environmental noise exposure. No relationship between road traffic and railway noise and the risk of prostate cancer was observed. In total, results showed that noise exposure, particularly prolonged and continuous exposure to loud noise, can lead to the incidence of some cancers. However, confirmation of this requires further epidemiological studies and exploration of the exact biological mechanism and pathway for these effects.

Introduction In childhood disability research, the involvement of families is essential for optimal outcomes for all participants. ENVISAGE (ENabling VISions And Growing Expectations)‐Families is a programme comprising five online workshops for parents of children with neurodevelopmental disorders. The workshops aim to introduce parents to strengths‐based perspectives on health and development. The research is based on an integrated Knowledge Translation (iKT) approach, in which knowledge users are involved throughout the research process. This article is co‐authored by the ENVISAGE health service researchers ( N = 9) and parent partners ( N = 3) to describe the process through which we co‐developed and implemented the workshops. Methods Collaborative auto‐ethnography methods, based on a combination of interviews, qualitative surveys, and discussions held to complete the Guidance for Reporting Involvement of Patients and Public‐2 tool, were used to describe the co‐design process, the benefits gained, and lessons learned. Findings Parents ( n = 118) were involved in developing and implementing the ENVISAGE workshops across the different phases, as partners, collaborators, or participants. Three parents were involved as investigators throughout. We identify seven key ingredients that we believe are necessary for a successful parent–researcher working relationship: (i) consistent communication; (ii) clear roles and expectations; (iii) onboarding and feedback; (iv) flexibility; (v) understanding; (vi) self‐reflection; and (vii) funding. Conclusion Patient and family engagement in research is a rapidly growing area of scholarship with new knowledge and tools added every year. As our team embarks on new collaborative studies, we incorporate this knowledge as well as the practical experience we gain from working together.