Re: Wing: Descriptive Epidemiology by Any Other Name...

["Frank "Free Spirit" Borger" <frank@rover.bsd.uchicago.edu>]

> Date:          Wed, 26 Feb 97 16:44:11 -0600
> From:          dj_strom@ccmail.pnl.gov (Daniel J Strom)
> To:            Multiple recipients of list <radsafe@romulus.ehs.uiuc.edu>
> Subject:       Wing: Descriptive Epidemiology by Any Other Name...


> Steve Wing and colleagues have published a reanalysis of TMI health 
> effects data (Wing et al. 1997).  Both the new Wing study and the work 
> of B.L. Cohen (Cohen 1995) are in a category of descriptive 
> epidemiology, as opposed to analytical epidemiology.  
> 
	I do notice one significant difference between Wing and Cohen.
	Cohen much more freely admits that his work has limitations,
	Wing  considers his results definitive. I also don't  see Wing
	putting his money where his mouth is. ;-)

> If you are upset by Wing yet celebrate Cohen, I ask that you examine why 
> descriptive studies are compelling in one case and not in the other.  To 
> me, the bottom line is that neither have data for individuals, neither 
> has meaningful control for confounders and biases, and no amount of 
> statistical analysis will change that.  

	For me, the bottom line is that both studies support my main
	thesis, that the risks we are arguing about are so small that the
	limited scientific and government resources available should be
	diverted to where they will really do some good.

> I must also confess that I do not form my opinions on the basis of books 
> published by what National Public Radio calls "the Libertarian Cato 
> Institute," which published Steve Milloy's "Junk Science" book.

	Neither do I, but after years of listening to the Sternglasses and
	Wings of  this world  cry wolf,  I find Milloy's tounge-in-cheek
	views from the opposite side very refreshing. We've always been
	able to make fun of politicians in this country, and scientists
	who have major influence on big government policy decisions
	should not be exempt.

Frank R. Borger - Physicist - Center for Radiation Therapy
net: Frank@rover.uchicago.edu   ph: 312-791-8075 fa: 791-3697

"Epidemiology is a crude and inexact science.  We tend to
overstate findings either because we want attention or more
grant money." Dr. Charles Hennikens