Detailed methods for this case–control study have been published elsewhere [43–49]; a brief summary of methods follows. Cases were newly diagnosed with adenocarcinoma of the exocrine pancreas between 1995 and 1999, residents of one of six Bay Area counties at the time of diagnosis, and were identified using rapid case ascertainment by the Northern California Cancer Center. Diagnoses of pancreatic cancer were confirmed by participants’ physicians and by the Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results abstracts that included histologic confirmation of disease when available. Eligible cases that were included were alive at contact (no proxy interviews were conducted), 21–85 years of age, and able to complete an interview in English.
