To investigate whether exposure to a rare industrial solvent causes a specific malignancy, the single most appropriate study design is:

• A Cohort study ✓
• B Cross-sectional study
• C Randomized controlled trial
• D Ecological study

Explanation

Cohort studies are the design of choice for rare exposures, since exposed individuals can be deliberately assembled, for example occupationally, rather than waiting for them to appear as cases. Case-control studies suit rare diseases instead. B randomized trial assigning a toxic solvent is unethical, a cross-sectional study cannot establish temporality, and an ecological study suffers from group-level inference problems.

Reference: Park's Textbook of Preventive and Social Medicine, 27th ed.

High-yield for: NEET PGINI-CETNExTFMGEUSMLEPLABMRCP

Written and medically reviewed by the StethoPrep medical team.