Day 256 - 04 Jun 96 - Page 32


     
     1        A.  To eliminate them and also to discover new causes.
     2
     3   Q.   Like the study which identified the number of telegraph
     4        poles on the roads as being associated with some form of
     5        degenerative disease?
     6        A.  There is no biological plausibility for that, of
     7        course.
     8
     9   Q.   Yes.  Can I ask you then whether you would agree with these
    10        propositions that I am going to put to you.  I hope they
    11        are not controversial.  Leaving aside dietary
    12        considerations, and as a preliminary, do you include the
    13        consumption of alcohol as a dietary factor or not?
    14        A.  Usually it is included, yes.
    15
    16   Q.   It is?
    17        A.  Because it contains energy.
    18
    19   Q.   Yes.  Then I will include that single dietary factor, if
    20        I may.  For cancers of all kinds, generally, obviously some
    21        more than others.  Can we identify smoking as a risk
    22        factor?
    23        A.  Yes.
    24
    25   Q.   Alcohol consumption?
    26        A.  Yes.
    27
    28   Q.   A lack of physical activity or exercise?
    29        A.  To some modest extent, yes.
    30
    31   Q.   Can I pause there.  Is the lack of physical activity a risk
    32        factor only because it may lead to on obesity and
    33        overweight, or does physical activity have a beneficial
    34        effect in itself in the metabolism or the physiology of
    35        human beings?
    36        A.  Both.
    37
    38   Q.   Both, yes.  Next, what I might call invasion by viruses or
    39        bacteria.  Is that a factor which is not a risk factor in
    40        the causation of aetiology of cancer?
    41        A.  Yes.
    42
    43   Q.   Atmospheric pollution?
    44        A.  That one is rather doubtful and the evidence is not
    45        terribly supportive.
    46
    47   Q.   Radiation?
    48        A.  Again, a very few number of cases perhaps that relate
    49        to that, at least in the usual levels of exposure.
    50 
    51   Q.   Inhalation of blue asbestos? 
    52        A.  Again, there is a very specific kind of cancer for 
    53        those who are heavily exposed and, again, the total
    54        equation may be extremely modest and rare.
    55
    56   Q.   You mentioned yourself not long ago earlier this morning
    57        stress, work stress.  Has that been identified as a risk
    58        factor?
    59        A.  That is more anecdotal but there are so many claims
    60        about stressed individuals being more susceptible to

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