Day 254 - 22 May 96 - Page 68


     
     1
     2   Q.   Apart from we have read the report, which was only based
     3        upon what you already knew before you came to court last
     4        time?
     5        A.  No.
     6
     7   Q.   I am not criticising you.
     8        A.  No, no.
     9
    10   Q.   No.  It is not your fault?
    11        A.  I regularly go to meetings.  These topics are discussed
    12        at scientific meetings, frequently because it is obviously
    13        something of great importance to the medical profession,
    14        and what is quite clear is that there is more uncertainty
    15        now than there was before.
    16
    17   Q.   You are critical of animal experiments in your report, the
    18        fallibility of animal experiments?
    19        A.  I mentioned that in my first report as well.
    20
    21   Q.   Yes, I am trying to finish off before ----
    22        A.  No, no.
    23
    24   Q.   And you look at the limitations of cohort studies; yes?
    25        A.  Yes.
    26
    27   Q.   Which we have been through in some detail.  And you look at
    28        the limitations and are critical of epidemiological
    29        studies; yes?
    30
    31   MR. JUSTICE BELL:  There is another shoddy bit you cannot make
    32        some criticism of, and it just seems to me there is no kind
    33        of study which just about everyone else does not make some
    34        criticism of.  That is one of the difficulties, it seems to
    35        me, with enquiring into the causes of cancer at the
    36        moment.  Or is that just too simple an approach?
    37        A.  No, I think, as I said this morning, my Lord, if one is
    38        trying to get scientific evidence to support a hypothesis
    39        one likes to see consistency in the reporting of the
    40        findings of these individual studies, be they animal case
    41        control, cohort, et cetera.  All I am saying is that as far
    42        as the relationship between fat and cancers of the breast
    43        and bowel are concerned there is a lack of consistency,
    44        that has not been any ----
    45
    46   MR. MORRIS:  Apart from in epidemiological studies and animal
    47        experiments?
    48        A.  No, even with animal experiments, for example, the
    49        studies have shown if you actually give the animals lots of
    50        calories but have a low fat diet they will get breast 
    51        cancer more frequently than animals who have a high fat 
    52        intake but a relatively low ---- 
    53
    54   MR. JUSTICE BELL:  Let him finish.  He is speaking.
    55
    56   Q.   I asked about consistency, I did not ask about criticisms
    57        of the methods used.  The fact is it is considered that
    58        animal experiments ----
    59
    60   MR. JUSTICE BELL:  Before you ask any more let the witness

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