Use of the individual data of the A-bomb survivors for biologically based cancer models.

All recent analyses of the data on solid cancer incidence of the atomic bomb survivors are corrected for migration and random dose errors. In the usual treatment with grouped data and regression calibration, the calibration of doses depends on the used dose response. For solid cancers, it usually is linear. Here, an individual likelihood is presented which works without further adjustment for all dose responses. When the same assumptions are made as in the usual Poisson regression, equivalent results are obtained. But, the individual likelihood has the potential to use more detailed models for dose errors and to estimate non-linear dose responses without recalibration. As an example for the potential of the individual data set for the analysis of risk at low doses, signals for a saturating bystander effect are investigated.