The first meeting of the NATO/CCMS Pilot Study "Dose-Response Analysis
and Biologically-Based Risk assessment for Initiator and Promoter
Carcinogens" was held in Rome, Italy, in the spring of 1991, and was
followed by annual or bi-annual meetings held in Germany, Greece,
Netherlands, Portugal, USA, up to the end of 1995; in large part
supported by NATO/CCMS grants or fellowships, and organized by Pilot
Study participants. The Pilot Study activity has been characterized by a
higly collaborative atmosphere, which was essential for a deep and
detailed analysis of a problem on which different points of view,
methodological approaches and regulations exist in the various member
countries. The Pilot Study was aimed at proposing a carcinogenic risk
assessment procedure which is based on a detailed analysis of the
relevant biological processes, and may also consent the verification of
hypotheses. The specific form of theoretical and mathe- matical models
is identified by considering and using the whole set of objective data
available. The multidisciplinary approach of the pilot study is
reflected by the struc- ture of this book. Each chapter is the result of
the cooperation of several authors from to produce a comprehensive
manual that includes different countries; its objective was both
theoretical and practical information.