Day 022 - 12 Sep 94 - Page 53
1 population and imperfect measurement of fat intake. Also
2 it must be because of the time span as well, yes ---
3 A. Yes.
4
5 Q. -- of the study, and also the fact they only studied
6 people over the age of 35, 34. So, as far as the
7 conclusion with the evidence between dietary fat and
8 breast cancer from this study, it does not take us much
9 further. Obviously, we can go through other studies --
10 I have finished with that study -- but we have a sort of
11 problem really if we are trying to identify the causes of
12 cancer; sooner or later someone has, you know, to make a
13 decision about what are likely to be the causes and make
14 recommendations.
15
16 Obviously, we have talked about the World Health
17 Organisation and governmental bodies, various institutes,
18 whatever, who seem to have made fairly strong conclusions
19 that diet and cancer are linked, quite reasonably, but
20 maybe it is a prudent approach. The problem is all the
21 methodology seems to be fraught with difficulties. So,
22 what approach does the reasonable person take, that if
23 there is some evidence, this is something that should be
24 made known, is that the general line of, say, the US ---
25 A. Yes, I think what they are saying -----
26
27 Q. -- recommendations?
28 A. Some reports have suggested there might be a
29 relationship. Therefore, because the relationship of fat
30 and heart disease is much clearer, it seems only sensible
31 to recommend to people, who are not medical, who do not
32 have a lot of scientific knowledge, that they should
33 reduce their fat intake.
34
35 You know, I think one has to be very careful that there
36 comes a time, you said, there comes a time when you have
37 actually got to say something; one has to be sure that you
38 are actually saying the right thing. You cannot just
39 say: "Well, I think that fat causes cancer". It may do;
40 we do not have the scientific evidence to show that it
41 does. I think if you start then arguing without good
42 scientific evidence, then you can be actually doing the
43 scientific community, as well as the general public, a
44 disservice.
45
46 Q. So, to say a bland statement "X causes Y", you have to be
47 -----
48 A. I go back to -----
49
50 Q. Really, you have to have lights flashing in every kind of
51 methodology used?
52 A. You have to have a consistency of results.
53
54 Q. But, presumably, before you get to that stage it is
55 because people generally feel that this is the case, but
56 there is not the hard, solid guaranteed evidence to say
57 "this causes this", but that people anyway should know?
58 A. No.
59
60 Q. That this is what the general feeling is?
