Top work cancer researcher had 'secret ties to industry'
Top work cancer researcher had 'secret ties to industry'
Researchers have revealed that the co-author of the most frequently cited but much criticised estimate of occupational cancer prevalence had 'secret ties to industry'. An analysis of the academic literature on occupational cancer found: 'The most striking case is that of Sir Richard Doll, co-author (with Richard Peto) of one of the most influential papers in cancer epidemiology, one that concluded that only a small percentage of cancer was caused by environmental exposures.' The same paper produced HSE's 'best overall estimate available' of a 4 per cent occupational contribution to the total cancer incidence (Risks 225). The new analysis, due to be published in the American Journal of Industrial Medicine, shows Doll had a long term financial relationship with Monsanto between 1970 and 1990. The authors describe a letter from a Monsanto epidemiologist renewing Doll's contract for £1,000 per day from Monsanto. The Doll and Peto paper was published in 1981. The Monsanto letter formed part of dossier of documents revealing Doll's relationships with companies and trade associations. For example, in a paper on vinyl chloride cancer risks which was later to be heavily cited by industry groups, Doll did not disclose receiving £15,000 plus expenses from the Chemical Manufacturers' Association and the vinyl chloride manufacturers ICI and Dow. Doll was also receiving payments at the same time from Monsanto, another large producer of vinyl chloride. A Hazards report last year estimated that the real occupational cancer prevalence was at least twice and could be four times Doll's estimate, claiming up to 24,000 lives a year (Risks 234), compared to HSE's estimate of between 3,000 and 12,000 deaths. HSE was warned by Hazards of Doll's industry bias over a decade ago, but has not so far dropped the discredited figure (Risks 222). The known number of asbestos related mesothelioma and lung cancer cases alone are well in excess of HSE's lower estimate of total UK occupational cancer deaths. Mesothelioma alone killed 1,969 people in 2004.
- L Hardell, MJ Walker, B Walhjalt, LS Friedman and ED Richter, Secret ties to industry and conflicting interests in cancer research. American Journal of Industrial Medicine, in press. Summary at the Our Stolen Future website.
- Hazards occupational cancer and work and health webpages. HSE occupational cancer estimates.
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