Day 017 - 25 Jul 94 - Page 42
1 dietary fibre was observed.
2 Conclusions - these data provide evidence against both an
adverse influence of fat intake and a protective effect of
3 fibre consumption by middle-aged women on breast cancer
incidence over eight years. Nevertheless, the positive
4 association between intake of animal fat and risk of colon
cancer observed in many studies provides ample reason to
5 limit this source of energy."
6 It is right, is it not, Dr. Arnott, that Dr. Willett was
one of those -- it was his study, to a large extent, that
7 set the hare running, a large intake animal fat gives rise
to risk of colon cancer?
8 A. Yes indeed.
9 Q. So far as that last sentence is concerned, 1992, is that
mainstream medical thinking or not?
10 A. No. I think that what most thinking medics would say
is that we do know the answer to fat and colon cancer
11 because -- we will be discussing it later -- there are
again conflicting studies or studies producing conflicting
12 evidence regarding the relationship between fat and the
development of colon cancer. The answer is by no means
13 clear.
14 Q. One notices that Dr. Willett is not attributing high
intake of animal as a cause of colon cancer, but is he
15 being somewhat more positive, do you think, than you would
be inclined to be in that statement?
16 A. He is being more positive than I would be inclined to
be.
17
Q. He is?
18 A. Yes.
19 Q. Now that brings you us to colon cancer. At the end of it
all -- perhaps you would think about this over the
20 adjournment -- when we review the evidence on diet and
colon cancer as well Dr. Arnott, I am going to ask you to
21 put diet and risk of these two cancers on a sort of a
scale from 10 down to one, so perhaps you could give that
22 some thought when we get to that at the end of
the review. My Lord, I do not know whether that would be
23 a convenient point?
24 MR. JUSTICE BELL: Yes.
25 MR. RAMPTON: Before I pass to the other topic.
26 MR. JUSTICE BELL: We will resume at 2 o'clock.
27 (Short Adjournment)
28 MR. RAMPTON: Dr. Arnott, before we pass to cancer of the colon
and the rectum, one question I should ask. I cannot
29 immediately find the reference so perhaps either you can
or we will look for it later. Am I right in thinking that
30 whilst on the one hand the consumption of dietary fat in
the United States has fallen significantly over the last
