Hazards Technology and Fairness (1986) / Chapter Skim
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Pages 34-40
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From page 34... ...
In view of the long latent period between initiation and full expression of cancers and heritable diseases, it is not possible to link with certainty any specific cancer or genetic defect with any specific exposure, either before or after the development of a tumor or a genetic defect. Although the allegation that the specific exposure and the specified cancer are causally related implies that a single cell must have been stochastically (accidentally)
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From page 35... ...
. The risk coefficients and the risk from any given dose are prospective in that they permit the estimation, for a given exposed population or the average individual in that population, of the expected excess incidence and thus the risk.
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From page 36... ...
In simplest form, the approach is described by the ratio PC= RR RB + RR + RO + RC (1) where PC is the probability of causation, and RR is the expected excess incidence of cancer due to a radiation exposure of a population (equal to the risk to the average person)
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From page 37... ...
The PC in this region can thus be taken to be a true probability that radiation alone is causally related. When cancer arises from low-level exposure, then, one logical approach to dealing with causation and liability is to assign responsibility for the cancer to the party under whose aegis the radiation exposure was experienced, but only if the PC exceeds 50 percent.
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From page 38... ...
. Note that synergistic action is apparent in that the response to the combined action of the radiation and the chemical mutagen clearly exceeded the sum of the responses to the agents administered separately.
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From page 39... ...
Medical training and experience are invaluable when dealing with the causers) of a quantal response in the context of demonstrable harm or competing injuries.
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From page 40... ...
1 percent. Should the cancer be rarer and have a larger risk coefficient, the PC would be larger (with leukemia, about 8 percent)
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