Day 254 - 22 May 96 - Page 43
1 muscles to stick together otherwise the muscles would
2 disintegrate. If you are talking about cells in the blood
3 stream, I am not an expert in that field.
4
5 Q. What about with cancer cells?
6 A. There is no evidence that I am aware of which suggests
7 that fat in the diet increases the stickiness of cancer
8 cells. In fact, if you were a cancer yourself that would
9 be a disadvantage as far as the cancer is concerned,
10 because one of their properties, as we have already
11 discussed a minute ago, is the fact that these cells can
12 break off and spread to other parts of the body.
13 Therefore, if we had a form of treatment which would
14 increase their stickiness that would actually be beneficial
15 in terms of localising the cancer to a certain site.
16
17 Q. I may have put this. May be the best thing is if I just
18 put to you what Professor Crawford has suggested I put
19 rather than ----
20
21 MR. JUSTICE BELL: If you do put it read it slowly and try and
22 break it down. I mean, I thought that you must have been
23 given this, possibly by Professor Crawford, so take it step
24 by step and take it slowly, the propositions. Carry on
25 with the propositions you are putting.
26
27 MS. STEEL: First, he says that he did not say that cancer
28 cells lodged on atheromas. He then goes on to say, as
29 countries with a high incidence of heart disease also have
30 a high incidence of breast and colon cancer his view is
31 there may be a common denominator, and he repeats the point
32 that eating a high saturated fat diet tends to make blood
33 cells sticky. His view is that "diets rich in saturated
34 fats would, one, make the cells' lining and circulation" --
35 I presume that is circulatory system -- "less able to
36 prevent cells adhering to them, possibly with some lining
37 cells being damaged which encourages adhesion, and, two,
38 that blood cells, platelets in particular, would also be
39 likely to adhere to each other and to cells lining the
40 blood vessels."
41
42 He says, "As this evidence is well established
43 scientifically, his suggestion is that cancer cells
44 migrating from the primary tumour would find it easier to
45 lodge and stick to the lining of the blood vessels or
46 lymphatic system", and then he asks whether you would agree
47 that is a reasonable proposition.
48
49 MR. RAMPTON: My Lord, this is very, very difficult. That is a
50 very long statement. Ms. Steel is obviously reading from
51 something which, at the very least, looks as though it
52 forms the foundation of a supplementary statement by
53 Professor Crawford which we certainly ought to have had.
54
55 MS. STEEL: Mr. Rampton, it does not. I asked him if he had
56 any questions that he suggested I put to the witness which
57 is what he sent to me, it is not a supplementary statement.
58
59 MR. RAMPTON: I am sorry, Ms. Steel and Mr. Morris have a habit
60 speaking through me. It maybe because nothing I say
