Melissa Friesen
Professor Adjunct (Environmental Health)About
Research
Publications
2025
Benzene exposure and risk of colorectal cancer by anatomical subsite in the Norwegian offshore petroleum workers cohort
Babigumira R, Veierød M, Larsen I, Berge L, Shala N, Marjerrison N, Samuelsen S, Bråtveit M, Kirkeleit J, Nordby K, Hosgood H, Demers P, Vermeulen R, Kromhout H, Engel L, Nilsen T, Silverman D, Friesen M, Rothman N, Lan Q, Grimsrud T, Stenehjem J. Benzene exposure and risk of colorectal cancer by anatomical subsite in the Norwegian offshore petroleum workers cohort. Environmental Research 2025, 276: 121407. PMID: 40118315, DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2025.121407.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchRisk of colorectal cancerOffshore petroleum workersJob-exposure matrixHazard ratioColorectal cancerAnatomic subsiteColorectal cancer riskConfidence intervalsColorectal cancer casesEstimate hazard ratiosCase-cohort analysisPetroleum workersWork historyExposure-response associationsPositive exposure-response associationsBody mass indexRight-sided colon cancerPublic health implicationsPhysical activityBenzene exposureMeat intakeAlcohol intakeQuartile 4Mass indexCase cohortOccupational exposures and kidney cancer among 25 000 male offshore petroleum industry workers: relative risks and healthy worker survivor bias
Shala N, Veierød M, Babigumira R, Berge L, Samuelsen S, Kirkeleit J, Bråtveit M, Friesen M, Keil A, Silverman D, Rothman N, Qing L, Stenehjem J, Grimsrud T. Occupational exposures and kidney cancer among 25 000 male offshore petroleum industry workers: relative risks and healthy worker survivor bias. American Journal Of Epidemiology 2025, kwaf039. PMID: 40036895, DOI: 10.1093/aje/kwaf039.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchHealthy worker survivor biasCumulative exposure to benzeneSurvivor biasKidney cancerOffshore petroleum workersOccupational exposureExposure-response trendsPetroleum workersPetroleum industry workersHigh-risk individualsCase-cohort designNational registry dataWeighted Cox regressionIncident cancerExposure to benzeneHealth conditionsRegistry dataNon-casesEmployment durationConfidence intervalsCox regressionOccupational impactOccupational diseasesInverse trendWorkersSolvent exposure, genetic susceptibility, and risk of bladder cancer.
Tadesse D, Rothman N, Xie S, Hurwitz L, Friesen M, Baris D, Schwenn M, Johnson A, Karagas M, Silverman D, Koutros S. Solvent exposure, genetic susceptibility, and risk of bladder cancer. Cancer Prevention Research 2025, of1-of8. PMID: 39995157, DOI: 10.1158/1940-6207.capr-24-0434.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchBladder cancer riskRisk of bladder cancerNew England Bladder Cancer StudyCancer riskPopulation-based case-control studyOdds ratioIncreased bladder cancer riskIncreased risk of bladder cancerConfidence intervalsCumulative exposure to benzeneCancer susceptibility lociJob-exposure matrixCalculate odds ratiosBladder cancerLifetime occupational exposureGenetic risk variantsCase-control studyMultivariate logistic regressionBladder Cancer StudyExposure to benzeneSusceptibility lociLogistic regressionOccupational historyRisk variantsCancer studies
2024
Estimated exposure to endotoxin and circulating immunological markers among male farmers in the Biomarkers of Exposure and Effect in Agriculture study
Ezennia S, Freeman L, Chang V, Xie S, Sandler D, Andreotti G, Parks C, Friesen M, Hofmann J. Estimated exposure to endotoxin and circulating immunological markers among male farmers in the Biomarkers of Exposure and Effect in Agriculture study. Occupational And Environmental Medicine 2024, 81: 635-638. PMID: 39746796, PMCID: PMC11821429, DOI: 10.1136/oemed-2024-109646.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsExposure to endotoxinImmune markersAssociated with reduced lung cancer riskEndotoxin exposureEstimated geometric mean ratiosCirculating immune markersMacrophage-derived chemokine/CCL22Reduced risk of lung cancerLevels of fibroblast growth factor-2Decreased levelsMultiplex bead-based assayRisk of lung cancerExposure-response mannerExposed to endotoxinAssociated with increased levelsLung cancer riskFibroblast growth factor-2Immunological alterationsGrowth factor 2Serum levelsImmunological markersSIL-4RLung cancerBead-based assayMultivariate linear regressionQuantitative measures of recent and lifetime agricultural pesticide use are associated with increased pesticide concentrations in house dust
Xie S, Hofmann J, Sampson J, Josse P, Madrigal J, Chang V, Deziel N, Andreotti G, Keil A, Ward M, Freeman L, Friesen M. Quantitative measures of recent and lifetime agricultural pesticide use are associated with increased pesticide concentrations in house dust. Environment International 2024, 193: 109123. PMID: 39541787, PMCID: PMC11620478, DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2024.109123.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchAgricultural pesticide usePesticide concentrationsAgricultural usePesticide useBanned pesticidesDust samplesElevated pesticide concentrationsBiomarkers of exposure and effectExposure and effectConcentrations of malathionVacuum dust samplesEvaluate temporal variabilityDust concentrationHeptachlor concentrationsP′-DDDP-DDEDieldrin concentrationsCyfluthrin concentrationsAgricultural pesticidesPesticidesPesticide analytesTemporal variabilityEstimate relative differencesIntraclass correlation coefficientHouse dustOccupational exposure to benzene and risk of non‐Hodgkin lymphoma in an extended follow‐up of two population‐based prospective cohorts of Chinese men and women
Bassig B, Shu X, Friesen M, Vermeulen R, Purdue M, Ji B, Yang G, Wong J, Appel N, Hu W, Gao Y, Zheng W, Rothman N, Lan Q. Occupational exposure to benzene and risk of non‐Hodgkin lymphoma in an extended follow‐up of two population‐based prospective cohorts of Chinese men and women. International Journal Of Cancer 2024, 155: 2159-2168. PMID: 39221990, DOI: 10.1002/ijc.35095.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchNon-Hodgkin's lymphomaRisk of non-Hodgkin lymphomaPopulation-based cohortCumulative exposurePopulation-based prospective cohortOccupational benzene exposurePooled analysisFollow-upAssociated with non-Hodgkin lymphomaChronic lymphocytic leukemia subtypesNon-Hodgkin lymphoma riskAssociated with NHL riskPopulation-based cohort of menLifetime cumulative exposureInternational Agency for Research on CancerCox proportional hazards modelsCumulative exposure estimatesCohort of menProportional hazards modelInconclusive associationsNHL riskExposure-response relationshipProspective cohortElevated riskSignificant exposure-responseA case-control study of early-life residential exposure to perchloroethylene and risks of childhood leukemia and congenital anomalies
Rhee J, Michalski A, Adler C, Musco J, Xie S, Friesen M, Gates Kuliszewski M, Insaf T, Purdue M. A case-control study of early-life residential exposure to perchloroethylene and risks of childhood leukemia and congenital anomalies. ISEE Conference Abstracts 2024, 2024 DOI: 10.1289/isee.2024.0145.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchQuantitative measures of recent and lifetime agricultural pesticide use are associated with increased pesticide concentrations in house dust
Xie S, Hofmann J, Sampson J, Josse P, Madrigal J, Chang V, Deziel N, Andreotti G, Keil A, Ward M, Beane Freeman L, Friesen M. Quantitative measures of recent and lifetime agricultural pesticide use are associated with increased pesticide concentrations in house dust. ISEE Conference Abstracts 2024, 2024 DOI: 10.1289/isee.2024.0458.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchExposure to fibres and risk of pleural mesothelioma in the Norwegian Offshore Petroleum Workers cohort
Berge L, Shala N, Barone-Adesi F, Hosgood H, Samuelsen S, Bråtveit M, Kirkeleit J, Silverman D, Friesen M, Babigumira R, Grimsrud T, Veierød M, Stenehjem J. Exposure to fibres and risk of pleural mesothelioma in the Norwegian Offshore Petroleum Workers cohort. Occupational And Environmental Medicine 2024, 81: 331-338. PMID: 38955483, DOI: 10.1136/oemed-2024-109424.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchOffshore petroleum workersRisk of pleural mesotheliomaJob-exposure matrixIncreased risk of pleural mesotheliomaPleural mesotheliomaLowest tertileCancer Registry of NorwayAsbestos exposurePetroleum workersIncreased riskCase-cohort studyAssociated with increased riskWeighted Cox regressionCancer RegistryAssociated with asbestos exposureEstimate HRsRespiratory cancerInhalation of asbestos fibresRefractory ceramic fibresHighest tertileNon-casesMesothelioma riskExposure to fibresPleural mesothelioma casesWorker cohortUrinary biomonitoring of glyphosate exposure among male farmers and nonfarmers in the Biomarkers of Exposure and Effect in Agriculture (BEEA) study
Chang V, Ospina M, Xie S, Andreotti G, Parks C, Liu D, Madrigal J, Ward M, Rothman N, Silverman D, Sandler D, Friesen M, Beane Freeman L, Calafat A, Hofmann J. Urinary biomonitoring of glyphosate exposure among male farmers and nonfarmers in the Biomarkers of Exposure and Effect in Agriculture (BEEA) study. Environment International 2024, 187: 108644. PMID: 38636272, DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2024.108644.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsUrinary glyphosate concentrationsBiomarkers of exposure and effectGlyphosate concentrationsExposure and effectGlyphosate usePesticide exposureGeometric mean concentrationsBiomonitoring dataMean concentrationsUrinary biomonitoringGlyphosate exposureAgricultural settingsGlyphosateSelf-reported pesticide exposureExposed farmersExposure determinantsIsotope-dilution tandem mass spectrometryConcentrationMorning voided urineAgricultureTandem mass spectrometryBiomonitoringExposureFarmsVoided urine