Multistage models for carcinogenesis.

The multistage model is tested on several human and animal data sets. It fits in some cases but not in others. With human lung cancer data, there is a drop in risk for ex-smokers quite different from the predictions of the model. The results are not conclusive but are compatible with the view that the multistage model provides a family of curves that often fit cancer incidence data, but may not capture the underlying biological reality.