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Council on Scientific Affairs

JAMA. 1987;257(6):806-809.

Abstract
In 1983, the Federal Orphan Drug Act was passed. This act included a rider intended as a foundation for compensating individuals with cancers allegedly caused by radiation exposures during certain nuclear events. In response, a National Institutes of Health working group was established that prepared the National Institutes of Health Radioepidemiological Tables. The tables permit computation of a "probability of causation" (otherwise known as "assigned share") that an individual's cancer was caused by earlier estimated exposure to radiation. However, several limitations have been noted in the accuracy of the computations and in the conditions under which the computations are applicable. These limitations have caused the Council on Scientific Affairs of the American Medical Association to recommend that the probability of causation approach not be applied to occupational radiation exposures or to diagnostic or therapeutic exposures in medicine.

(JAMA 1987;257:806-809)

Author Affiliations
From the Council on Scientific Affairs, American Medical Association, Chicago.; The members of the Council on Scientific Affairs are as follows: John R. Beljan, MD, Long Beach, Calif, Vice-Chairman; George M. Bohigian, MD, St Louis; E. Harvey Estes, Jr, MD, Durham, NC; Ira R. Friedlander, MD, Chicago, Resident Representative; William R. Kennedy, MD, Minneapolis; John H. Moxley III, MD, Los Angeles, Chairman; Paul Salva, PhD, Lubbock, Tex, Medical Student Representative; William C. Scott, MD, Tucson; Joseph H. Skom, MD, Chicago; Richard M. Steinhilber, MD, Cleveland; Jack P. Strong, MD, New Orleans; Henry N. Wagner, Jr, MD, Baltimore; William R. Hendee, PhD, Secretary; William T. McGivney, PhD, Assistant Secretary. Robert Wheater, MS, and Dr Hendee were the Primary Staff Authors.

Footnotes
Report A of the Council on Scientific Affairs, presented at the 1986 Interim Meeting of the American Medical Association House of Delegates.

This report is not intended to be construed or to serve as a standard of medical care. Standards of medical care are determined on the basis of all of the facts and circumstances involved in an individual case and are subject to change as scientific knowledge and technology advance and patterns of practice evolve. This report reflects the views of the scientific literature as of December 1986.

Reprint requests to Council on Scientific Affairs, American Medical Association, 535 N Dearborn St, Chicago, IL 60610 (William R. Hendee, PhD).

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