Day 035 - 12 Oct 94 - Page 70
1 A. The fact that some role is played?
2
3 Q. Yes, that is not controversial, is it?
4 A. No.
5
6 Q. What might be in dispute is the extent to which hereditary
7 predispositions to cancer are important?
8 A. There are a number of uncertainties about that. I do
9 not think anyone believes that heredity is the prime
10 determinant factor except for a rather small number of
11 cancers.
12
13 Q. Can you turn, please, to page 20? This follows on "What
14 you can do". In other words, the advice to try and reduce
15 your risk: "Avoid being overweight, cut down on fats, eat
16 plenty of fibre, fruit, beans, and peas." Then comes
17 this: "There is, of course, no guarantee that by
18 following this advice you will protect yourself against
19 any form of cancer". That is, perhaps you would agree, an
20 uncontroversial statement.
21
22 Then comes this: "But you may reduce the risk of some
23 forms and in any case it is all good advice for your
24 general health. It certainly will not do any harm and, in
25 fact, will probably reduce your risk of heart disease.
26 The occasional feast will not do you much harm either. It
27 is what you eat regularly that counts". Do you notice a
28 contrast in emphasis between what is said about the risk
29 of cancer and diet and what is said about the risk of
30 heart disease and diet?
31 A. It is striking. Let me read it again to make sure
32 I am being responsive. One would have to say that to say
33 one would probably reduce the risk of heart disease by
34 eating a diet that one would presume is
35 high-in-fibre/low-in-fat, low in cholesterol, making other
36 sensible changes, does suggest that they are being, if
37 anything, understating the effect of diet, because
38 I believe we would all quite agree the risk of heart
39 disease would almost certainly be reduced by such changes.
40
41 Q. Please turn to page 27, which is the last reference I make
42 today. There was at one stage in this case -- this
43 document is not ours; it came from the Defendants -- an
44 original form of this in which one could see a contrast in
45 colour. I do not know where that may have gone. Can you
46 please ensure it comes back when Dr. Cannon comes to give
47 evidence? It is probably an exhibit and ought to be
48 strictly -----
49
50 MR. JUSTICE BELL: It is badly copied. It was green up to
51 about 35 per cent, I wrote on mine.
52
53 MR. RAMPTON: Yes, from somewhere around about two per cent,
54 I would guess.
55
56 THE WITNESS: I think I can, perhaps, distinguish the line of
57 demarcation.
58
59 MR. JUSTICE BELL: There is green next to that paragraph
60 there. That is the key and this is green up there.
