An investigator wants to assess whether smoking is a risk factor for pancreatic cancer. He or she will use electronic medical records at a local hospital to identify fifty patients with pancreatic cancer. Another hundred patients who are similar but free of pancreatic cancer will also be selected. Each participant’s medical record will be analyzed for smoking history.
Respond to the following:
• Identify the type of study proposed.
• Indicate the specific strengths and weaknesses of the study.
• State the most likely source of bias in the study.
