Day 266 - 20 Jun 96 - Page 41


     
     1        11, in fact.
     2
     3   MS. STEEL:  I do not think that is fair, to be honest.
     4
     5   MR. JUSTICE BELL:  Just listen, please.  You can ask some
     6        questions in re-examination.
     7
     8   MS. STEEL:  Yes, but when Mr. Rampton -- when we have been
     9        cross-examining their witnesses, we have been told that we
    10        have to let them look at the context of things and any
    11        relevant tables.
    12
    13   MR. JUSTICE BELL:  Just wait.  You know perfectly well, because
    14        you have been in this case for two years, that you have the
    15        right to re-examine.   Wait until then.
    16
    17   MS. STEEL:  It is not a question of re-examination.
    18
    19   MR. JUSTICE BELL:  (To the witness):  What you are being asked
    20        is the statement is being made that table 11 suggests that
    21        a high intake of total fat may also promote the development
    22        of a number of cancers.  The paragraph goes on to say:
    23        "The evidence cannot be considered sufficiently strong to
    24        be termed 'causal', but most expert groups now consider it
    25        prudent to reduce fat intakes in western societies from the
    26        prevailing figure of about 40 percent of energy towards the
    27        20 to 30 percent figure."
    28
    29        You are being asked whether you agree with that.  You may
    30        do, or you may not.  What I want is your view.
    31        A.  Right.  When you give a view, as a health professional,
    32        I think it is misleading to say you agree or disagree with
    33        a particular paragraph in the contents.  If it was a
    34        conclusion, then, yes, I would agree with it or disagree
    35        with it.  But taking -- if you are asking me whether I
    36        agree or disagree with the World Health Organisation's
    37        view, taking into account the whole report on diet and
    38        cancer, then, yes, I would agree with it.  I find it hard
    39        to separate that paragraph from the report as a whole
    40        because the paragraph is not actually a conclusion.  The
    41        paragraph is just a piece of a much bigger section of the
    42        book.
    43
    44   Q.   Thank you.
    45        A.   But, yes, I would agree with that and looking at the
    46        table referred to on page 67, the big plus pluses, if you
    47        like, which show a strong positive association are with
    48        colon cancer, prostate cancer and there is a cross for
    49        breast cancer and there is a cross for rectum cancer
    50        showing positive association.
    51
    52        So, yes, I agree with that. 
    53
    54   MR. RAMPTON:  That is what the cross section of the population
    55        or epidemiological studies suggest and it is what some of
    56        the animal studies suggest, and some of that evidence is
    57        contradicted by cohort studies and by case control
    58        studies.  Am I right?
    59        A.   Which evidence is this?
    60

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