Day 023 - 13 Sep 94 - Page 11
1 A. Well, as far as colon cancer is concerned, people are
2 not sure about other factors, but obesity may be a factor
3 involved. But one of the problems with colon cancer is
4 that we are stuck with knowing exactly why people develop
5 colon cancer.
6
7 Q. So you are not aware of any studies regarding lifestyle
8 that do not relate to diet in this context?
9 A. Well, it may not -- diet undoubtedly may change, that
10 may be one factor; the level of activity of the people may
11 change.
12
13 Q. Are you aware of any studies putting that forward? Can
14 you name any studies?
15 A. People, well, epidemiologists have actually looked at
16 the data that have come from the population studies and
17 said: "Just hang on a minute; it is not necessarily only
18 diet that is changing or one aspect of the diet which is
19 changing; it is a substantial change in lots of different
20 things, such as the level of activity they undertake
21 perhaps. There may be some changes in diet, but it is not
22 necessarily only, for example, fat that changes in the
23 diet. There are other factors which may change". It is
24 not just a straightforward simple correlation, for
25 example, with fat. There may be other factors.
26
27 MR. JUSTICE BELL: What other factors are there? Level of
28 activity you have mentioned.
29 A. For example, they may drink more. Alcohol has been
30 implicated as a possible cause in colon cancer. If
31 somebody moves from a country where either alcohol is
32 difficult to come by or very expensive and then moves to a
33 country where it is relatively cheap and easily
34 accessible, that will undoubtedly change.
35
36 Q. I suppose alcohol could be considered to be part of diet,
37 could it not?
38 A. Oh, yes. What I am saying, though, is that if one
39 looks at changes in diet that may occur -----
40
41 Q. As I understand it, we are not necessarily on fat at the
42 moment, we are just on diet. That is what Ms. Steel has
43 asked you about. She may go on to be more specific, but
44 at the moment she has just asked you about diet. So you
45 have mentioned activity. Is there anything apart from
46 diet and activity that has been promulgated as a possible
47 cause or risk factor?
48 A. Well, other aspects in the diet are things such as the
49 amount of fibre -----
50
51 Q. No, other than activity and diet -- forget specific
52 factors of diet.
53 A. No.
54
55 MR. JUSTICE BELL: Does that answer the question you put
56 originally, Ms. Steel?
57
58 MS. STEEL: Sort of, yes.
59
60 MR. JUSTICE BELL: You were asking whether there were other
