title: Visualizing the Heterogeneity of Effects in the Analysis of Associations of Multiple Myeloma with Glyphosate Use. Comments on Sorahan, T. Multiple Myeloma and Glyphosate Use: A Re-Analysis of US Agricultural Health Study (AHS) Data. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2015, 12, 1548-1559.
abstract: We address a methodological issue of the evaluation of the difference in effects in epidemiological studies that may arise, for example, from stratum-specific analyses or differences in analytical decisions during data analysis. We propose a new simulation-based method to quantify the plausible extent of such heterogeneity, rather than testing a hypothesis about its existence. We examine the contribution of the method to the debate surrounding risk of multiple myeloma and glyphosate use and propose that its application contributes to a more balanced weighting of evidence.
authors.affiliation: Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, Dornsife School of Public Health, Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA. igor.burstyn@drexel.edu.
authors.forename: Igor
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Burstyn
authors.affiliation: Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, Dornsife School of Public Health, Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA. ajd335@drexel.edu.
authors.forename: Anneclaire J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: De Roos
mesh_terms: D000383:Agriculture; D005998:Glycine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives; D006801:Humans; D009101:Multiple Myeloma; D000097797:Glyphosate
chemical_list: D005998:Glycine; D000097797:Glyphosate
keywords: effect size; epidemiology; homogeneity; simulation