Day 022 - 12 Sep 94 - Page 41


     
     1        almost certainly reversible.
     2
     3   Q.   Does that mean this?  Let us suppose for a moment it were
     4        established that fat had a causative effect so far as
     5        cancer is concerned -- just assume that for the moment.
     6        A.  Yes.
     7
     8   Q.   Suppose the evidence were overwhelming so far as that was
     9        concerned, just like smoking.
    10        A.  Yes.
    11
    12   Q.   Does that mean, nevertheless, that you can eat as much fat
    13        as you like, unless you have the right genetic makeup or,
    14        perhaps I should say, the wrong genetic makeup, you will
    15        not get cancer?
    16        A.  It is believed that that may well be true, yes.  It is
    17        just like even with cigarette smoking there is thought to
    18        be  -----
    19
    20   Q.   Hence the man who tells you he has smoked 60 a day, and
    21        here he is 88 and never had a cough in his life?
    22        A.  That is right.  I mean, I think the genetic aspect of
    23        things are very complex because we are learning about
    24        possible cancer genes, onco genes, and the fact that we
    25        have genes that maybe act in a protective way, there is a
    26        sort of genetic balance even within the cell, so that even
    27        the genetic side of things is not just straightforward; it
    28        is quite a complex issue.
    29
    30   MR. MORRIS:  Just going back to the genetic component.  I do
    31        not know what this document is from actually; it is that
    32        one I referred to before:  "Can you avoid cancer?"  It was
    33        number 58 in that nutrition.
    34
    35   MS. STEEL:   It is the second volume.
    36
    37   MR. JUSTICE BELL:  Pink VI.
    38
    39   MS. STEEL:  No, it is the Defendants' blue II.
    40
    41   MR. MORRIS:  No. 58.  Could you note, it is called:  "Can you
    42        avoid cancer?  A guide to reducing your risks".  On the
    43        back of it, if you look at what I presume is the back page
    44        of the file, it has the logos of the Health Educational
    45        Authority, that is Britain's, The Cancer Education
    46        Co-ordinating Group of the United Kingdom and Republic of
    47        Ireland, the Scottish Health Education Group which seems
    48        to be the people that produced this under the funding from
    49        the EEC.  Anyway, that is the logos on it.
    50 
    51        If we look at page 8 -- it is 8 and 9 in fact -- in that 
    52        document, it is internal page 8, it says:  "Is cancer 
    53        hereditary?  Generally no.  There are only a few forms of
    54        cancer that can be hereditary and they are very rare.
    55        However, there are some families in which one type of
    56        cancer does seem to crop up more frequently than usual-
    57        such as breast, ovarian and bowel cancer and malignant
    58        melanoma.  In many cases this could be sheer chance.  In
    59        others either it could be something to do with family
    60        lifestyle such as eating habits, or it could be something

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