A comparison of three approaches to estimate exposure-specific incidence rates from population-based case-control data.
In population-based case-control studies, an attempt is made to identify all incident cases diagnosed in a specified population during a fixed time interval. Assuming that this goal is met allows one to obtain measures of risk other than relative risks. In this paper, we describe three approaches to estimate exposure-specific incidence rates. Approach 1 relies on estimating crude incidence rates of the disease in strata defined, for instance, by age and geographic area, and combining them with relative risk estimates from the case-control data. In approaches 2 and 3, baseline incidence rates and relative risks are estimated jointly. Approach 2 is based on a pseudo-likelihood, while, in approach 3, the problem is regarded as a missing data problem and a full likelihood is maximized. We applied these three approaches to a study of bladder cancer. Our three sets of estimates of exposure-specific incidence rates were in close agreement, while there appeared to be greater precision with approaches 2 and 3.
National Cancer Institute, Biostatistics Branch, Rockville, Maryland 20892.
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Benichou
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Wacholder
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D004781:Environmental Exposure / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D016013:Likelihood Functions; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015233:Models, Statistical; D011159:Population Surveillance; D012042:Registries; D012306:Risk; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology; D001749:Urinary Bladder Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control