Regression analysis of cytopathological data

Epithelial cells from the human body are frequently labelled according to one of several ordered levels of abnormality, ranging from normal to malignant. The label of the most abnormal cell in a specimen determines the score for the specimen. This paper presents a model for the regression of specimen scores against continuous and discrete variables, as in host exposure to carcinogens. Application to data and tests for adequacy of model fit are illustrated using sputum specimens obtained from a cohort of former asbestos workers.