The Cohort of Swedish Men (COSM)
The Cohort of Swedish Men is a large population-based cohort of over 45,000 men in the counties of Västmanland and Örebro. All men born 1918-1952 who were residing in Västmanland and Örebro County in 1997 received an invitation to participate in this research study and a questionnaire to answer and return. The questionnaire included information about modifiable lifestyle factors such as diet, physical activity, smoking, weight, use of dietary supplements, some prescribed drugs, alcohol intake in addition to some gender specific questions. Approximately 48,000 men responded. Follow-ups were done during 2008/2009 and 2019. The study examine associations of environmental/modifiable risk factors with several cancer sites (e.g., prostate, colorectal and renal cell cancer), myocardial infarction, stroke, cataracts, as well as death causes. The study has a longitudinal design, and to complement the update on exposure data record linkages to the nationwide Cancer Register, the In-Patient Register, and the Cause of Death Register and Population Register are also done. The questionnaires used in the Cohort of Swedish men are the same as the ones that have been used in the Swedish Mammography Cohort (SMC). A clinical examination of a subcohort of COSM living in Västerås was conducted between 2010 and 2019. Participants with urological cancer have been sampled at the urological clinic at the hospital in Örebro since 2014. In 2014, researchers at Örebro University and Örebro Hospital started collecting blood samples (whole blood, plasma, and serum) from members of COSM with incident urological cancer (prostate, kidney, bladder, and penile cancer). Urine is additionally collected from prostate cancer patients. To date, samples from 232 prostate cancer cases have been collected. For more detailed information please visit the SIMPLER website, https://www.simpler4health.se/w/sh/en/researchers/cohortsOpens in a new tab. For restrictions in data use see https://www.simpler4health.se/w/sh/en/researchers/rules-and-guidelinesOpens in a new tab and https://www.simpler4health.se/w/sh/en/researchers/publication-policyOpens in a new tab.
