Re: LNT theories - Which model??

[Bernard L Cohen <blc+@pitt.edu>]

On Thu, 9 Dec 1999, Otto G. Raabe wrote:

> December 9, 1999
> Davis, CA
> 
> Prof. Cohen could not have tested the BEIR VI model since it predates his
> work and is apparently actually an exponential model rather than an LNT
> model. The BEIR IV linear model depends on WLM exposures rather than radon
> concentration, so it would require some modification.

> Perhaps Dr. Cohen can comment on the way in which the linear model that
he shows on his plots (and tested) was derived.


	--My 1995 paper was based on BEIR-IV. It assumed a proportionality
between WLM and average radon exposure, but this complication and others
involving the relationship between average radon level in homes and dose
were treated in my paper "Response to criticisms of Smith, Field, and
Lynch" in Health Physics 75:23-28;1998 (cf Table 1 of that paper and
associated discussion). Field seems to have ignored that treatment -- at
least in his "rebuttal" to that paper, he did not mention that treatment.

	I did not do an explicit test of the BEIR-VI model since 
my 1995 paper has a section showing that my test is applicable to *any*
linear-no threshold theory calibrated with the data on miners. If people
think that an explicit test of the BEIR-VI model with my data would be
publishable, I would be glad to submit a paper on that. If I get at least 
3 e-mail messages asking me to submit such a paper, I will send copies to
the Editor when I submit my paper in the hope that they would improve
chances for acceptance. An important paper on my study, introducing 450
new socioeconomic variables and updating the lung cancer statistics from
1970-1979 to 1979-1994 and doing substantial further analysis, was
rejected by Health Physics because the Reviewer did not think it was of
sufficient interest. It had to be submitted to another journal, delaying
its publication by a year.
	If anyone has reservations about my analyses, it would be
most expedient if they would submit a letter to the Editor of Health
Physics, because in that way my response would get published. But if they
prefer, we can keep the discussion private.

Bernard L. Cohen
Physics Dept.
University of Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh, PA 15260
Tel: (412)624-9245
Fax: (412)624-9163
e-mail: blc+@pitt.edu


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