DISTANCE RELATIONSHIPS IN THEORETICAL-MODELS OF CARCINOGENESIS

A number of quantitative models of environmental and genetic carcinogenesis have been proposed. It may be possible to ameliorate difficult problems of empirical verification by deriving the distance relationships inferred by a particular model of carcinogenesis. In addition, theoretical statements of the cancer-inducing process may inform empirical studies of the spatial variation in cancer occurrence and aid in model selection and interpretation. This paper introduces carcinogenetic theory and provides examples of the geographical application of theoretical models of carcinogenesis. © 1979.