UPPER CONFIDENCE-LIMITS ON EXCESS RISK FOR QUANTITATIVE RESPONSES

The definition and observation of clear-cut adverse health effects for continuous (quantitative) responses, such as altered body weights or organ weights, are difficult propositions. Thus, methods of risk asses sment commonly used for binary (quantal) toxic responses such as cance r are not directly applicable. In this paper, two methods for calculat ing upper confidence limits on excess risk for quantitative toxic effe cts are proposed, based on a particular definition of an adverse quant itative response. The methods are illustrated with data from a dose-re sponse study, and their performance is evaluated with a Monte Carlo si mulation study.