Improving Risk Characterizations Based on Time to Response
Abstract
One of the important aspects of quantitative cancer risk assessment is to model the frequency of a carcinogenic response as a function of exposure. Most of the current time-to-response modeling has been done using the simple model which does not include the effect of competing risks. As a result, the probabilities which are stated in terms of these models do not correspond to real world occurrences. Rather they correspond to a fictional world where no competing risks exist; that is, a world where only the risk of being modeled is present. The cause-specific family of models is preferred since it incorporates the effect of competing risks. A method is presented for utilizing life table data and existing simple model maximum likelihood estimates to obtain cause- specific risk characterizations. Representations for various risk characterizations (e.g., time-to-response probability, mean response free period, mean free dose, and virtually safe dose) under both models are compared. The results show that the simple model always overstates the effect of the carcinogen. The overstatement can easily be in the 20%-200% range.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- May 01, 1986
- Accession Number
- ADA171764
Entities
People
- Ronald J. Berdine
Organizations
- Air Force Institute of Technology