US EPA

1877739 

Journal Article 

Models for Exposure-Time-Response Relationships with Applications to Cancer Epidemiology 

Thomas, DC 

1988 

Yes 

Annual Review of Public Health
ISSN: 0163-7525
EISSN: 1545-2093 

NIOSH/00187911 

9 

451-482 

Time related factors in exposure/response relationships in chronic disease epidemiology were discussed. Reasons for examining temporal factors in studies chronic disease were considered. Time related variables such as calendar time, age, time since start of observation, duration of exposure, latency, pattern of exposure, and biological time were discussed using examples from the published literature on carcinogenesis. Temporal factors in the multistage model of carcinogenesis were discussed utilizing studies of radiation induced cancer, smoking and lung cancer, cancer induced by occupational exposures to asbestos (1332214) and nickel (7440020) and hormonal factors in breast, ovarian and endometrial cancer. Statistical approaches for describing the modification of exposure/disease relations by temporal variations were discussed. Model fitting approaches for describing exposure/time/response relations were considered. Practical applications of temporal factors as applied to designing epidemiological studies and analyzing and interpreting epidemiological data were discussed. Temporal factors and their relation to public health policy issues such as risk assessment and compensation claims were considered.