Day 256 - 04 Jun 96 - Page 28
1 "The relative risks adjusted for the following variables,
2 including age at menarche, body mass index, history of
3 benign breast disease" -- I am not sure about that one and
4 maternal history of breast cancer, et cetera, fibre intake
5 and energy intake. Apart from the ones that may be
6 genetically related, those other ones that I have
7 mentioned, are they dietary related?
8 A. Yes, they can be, each one you have mentioned.
9
10 Q. Yes.
11 A. Either by the person in question has been examined or
12 by the family member of that person, such as history of
13 breast cancer.
14
15 Q. So what effect would removing the dietary related variables
16 have on the value of this exercise?
17 A. It would tend to minimise the effect that is otherwise
18 there. We would not see it.
19
20 Q. What effect would it have of removing the people that may
21 be genetically susceptible to breast cancer on the
22 significance of these results?
23 A. Well, there is some.
24
25 Q. Or adjusting for those variables?
26 A. There is some indication that those who are genetically
27 susceptible may have been removed from this, but that is
28 not altogether true because the cases that actually were
29 entered into this equation, this analysis, obviously were
30 people who did get the disease and could be genetically
31 susceptible.
32
33 Q. Right. Maybe I put the question wrong. If people are
34 genetically susceptible, is it more important or less
35 important on their dietary habits?
36 A. Those who are genetically susceptible, the dietary
37 habits are particularly important.
38
39 Q. The last thing I think I was going to ask you was about the
40 other reference, I do not know if it is there behind that
41 one, the European Journal of Cancer Prevention, M J Hill.
42 Do you have that?
43 A. Yes I do, I have that.
44
45 Q. You have not really had a chance to read this, have you?
46 A. No, I have not, not the whole thing, no.
47
48 Q. If you just look at the overall conclusions which is on
49 pages 37 and 38, is there any comment you would like to
50 make? Just read them to yourself and, as you are going
51 through it, is there any comment you would like to make on
52 those (Pause).
53 A. It is an interesting set of questions. However ----
54
55 Q. Are these the questions on page 37, those five questions?
56 A. Yes, right. These questions are the kind of questions
57 that I have been myself involved in too on the other panels
58 that I have served on, and there is always some debate as
59 to whether or not these questions are legitimate questions
60 to raise or not, or at least some of them, particularly No.
