Day 254 - 22 May 96 - Page 61


     
     1        one of these two would be a primary factor in the causation
     2        of these cancers, or at least be a factor in their
     3        development certainly.  But he goes on to say in the next
     4        sentence: "Prospective studies have consistently failed to
     5        detect any relation between total fat intake and breast
     6        cancer".  His final sentence is:  "Overall this leaves a
     7        confused picture".
     8
     9   Q.   Because of things such as the olive oil protective effect
    10        and so on?
    11        A.  Which is all I am saying.
    12
    13   Q.   Yes, but he is quite clear about the first point, that
    14        basically it is one of the two which is a primary factor.
    15        He is just not clear which one?
    16        A.  That is what he is saying.
    17
    18   Q.   Yes.  Then if you look at the protein section.  In the
    19        middle part it basically says that:
    20
    21        "In their review of diet in the etiology of human cancer
    22        the European School of Oncology Task Force concluded that
    23        all of the correlation between cancer risk and meat or
    24        animal protein was secondary to those caused by the animal
    25        fats component."
    26
    27        That was in 1994.  It goes on to say that most other groups
    28        have reached the same conclusion.  Would you agree with
    29        that?
    30        A.  Well, this is one review of your describing, which is
    31        quoted in this, and what they are saying is that they
    32        cannot separate out risk from animal fat and meat per se,
    33        and most other groups have reached the same conclusion,
    34        that they cannot separate out the effect of fat and
    35        protein.
    36
    37   Q.   No, but they are effectively saying that the effect is
    38        caused by the animal fats component?
    39        A.  Yes.  I mean, basically what they are saying is these
    40        studies, which have looked at this particular problem in
    41        the past, have been unable to separate out animal meat, the
    42        meat aspect and the fat aspect, so we come back to the
    43        question of the relative importance of fat.
    44
    45   Q.   Well ----
    46
    47   MR. JUSTICE BELL:  I do not understand that to be pointing the
    48        finger at fat as opposed to other things.  It is just when
    49        you are considering protein as a factor, you cannot
    50        particularly point at protein because what applies to 
    51        protein could apply to the animal fat in the diet as well? 
    52        A.  Yes. 
    53
    54   Q.   But that is leaving on one side for a moment all other
    55        considerations; is that right, or am I mistaken?
    56        A.  That is my assessment of the situation.
    57
    58   MS. STEEL:  As I see it, it is not that it could equally apply,
    59        that they find that it does, it applies to  -- well, that
    60        the protein thing is secondary to the animal fat component.

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