Re: "Statins caused my kidney failure"

From: Dr Chaos (mbkennelSPAMBEGONE_at_NOSPAMyahoo.com)
Date: 07/11/04 

Date: Sun, 11 Jul 2004 22:50:43 +0000 (UTC)

On 11 Jul 2004 14:49:06 -0500, Herman Rubin <hrubin@odds.stat.purdue.edu> wrote:
> In article <10f0ibdlkqejtc7@corp.supernews.com>,
> Robert <Robert@hotmail.com> wrote:
>
>>"George Conklin" <nilknoc@earthlink.net> wrote in message > > What do you
>>mean no one noticed? How do you know about now?
>
>>> We know now because 40-50 years after treatment began, the proper
>>> research was done. I am surprised how gloriously ignorant you are.
>
>>How did they know then about doing the proper research about that specific
>>problem that we know now?
>>That information was gained ONLY after 40-50 years of treatment experience
>>AND our current understanding of cancer physiology. They didn't even have
>>tumor markers then so how in the hell would they have done the proper
>>research then? You totally don't have a clue. You are mixing up 50 years ago
>>and today. Fifty years ago there was no HIV so why didn't they do the
>>research concerning the bad side effects in HIV infected women as far as
>>cervical and uterine cancer back then? Dahhh!!!!!!
>
> You are quite correct; we cannot wait until the "correct
> research" is being done. In fact, in too many cases, the
> FDA waits too long, and it is acting under pressure. The
> probabilistic analysis needed cannot be done except
> approximately, but those indoctrinated in the classical
> statistical religion are unable to understand this. Giving
> me the information that something was significant at a
> certain level, or the p-value, gives me some information,
> but not the relevant information.

Would you favor a Bayesian estimate of likely hazard ratios
under the treatment?

Can you elaborate on your preferred way for quantitative inference?

(this is not a rhetorical question, I am honestly interested in the
answer)

> Herman Rubin, Department of Statistics, Purdue University
> hrubin@stat.purdue.edu Phone: (765)494-6054 FAX: (765)494-0558