Day 017 - 25 Jul 94 - Page 26


     
     1
              When we embarked on our nutron therapy programme in
     2        Edinburgh, there were some studies from the Hammersmith
              Hospital and other places in the United States which had
     3        suggested there was a real advantages to nutron therapy in
              cancer treatment, but in fact, our studies which were
     4        above board studies, conducted very well -- all the data
              and the methodology was open to anybody to come and
     5        inspect -- we, in fact, found that there was no advantage
              to nutrons and, in fact, there was a disadvantage.
     6
              I think in any of these studies, one has to have
     7        consistency of results and the results must be
              reproducible for people to say that there is a definite
     8        relationship between the two events.  What we have seen in
              all of these studies is that there is no consistency and
     9        there is no reproducibility.
 
    10   Q.   I am going to finish, if I may, this paper because I want
              to ask you a question about it at the end.  It is quite
    11        long but I hope you will forgive me ------
 
    12   MR. JUSTICE BELL:  Shall we have our five minute break there,
              Mr. Rampton?
    13
         MR. RAMPTON:  Yes.
    14
         MR. JUSTICE BELL:  We will have a five minute break to give the
    15        stenographers a break, Dr. Arnott.
 
    16                       (Short Adjournment)
 
    17   MR. RAMPTON:  Dr. Arnott I had got down to page 589 of this
              paper headed:  "Prospective Studies.  Prospective studies
    18        have the major advantage over case-control studies that
              the dietary details are collected before the development
    19        of cancer; the possible effects of the disease on diet and
              on dietary recall are therefore avoided."  Is that an
    20        observation you would agree with or not?
              A.  Yes, I would agree.  I think it is one of the major
    21        advantages of the cohort studies.
 
    22   Q.   I cannot remember whether I asked you this, but of the
              three forms of epidemiological methods, population
    23        studies, case-control studies and cohort studies, which do
              you favour as being the best provider of evidence?
    24        A.  Cohort studies are, quite clearly, the better.
 
    25   Q.   "Hirayama (1978)" which is I think referred to in your
              paper at No.6 is your reference number? 
    26 
         MR. JUSTICE BELL:  Apart from the possible effect of the -- oh, 
    27        yes, it has dietary recall, yes.  In this case is dietary
              recall more important than the possible effects of the
    28        disease on diet, or is it not possible to tell?  That is
              always the general advantage of a prospective study?
    29        A.  Yes.   I think the presence ----
 
    30   Q.   Dietary recall, taking your information untainted by what
              is actually going to happen, is that right?

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