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Council for Tobacco Research

Cancer Research Guest Editorial Smoking and Lung Cancer Volume 16 [St Regarding Support Given to Scientist for Research]

Date: Mar 1956
Length: 2 pages
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Depository Date
25 Sep 1995
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118
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Ctrmn00000667-6967

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Box
003
Type
SCIENTIFIC ARTICLE
UCSF Legacy ID
vbr30a00

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Page 1: vbr30a00
. . •~.,•iil ',n J1JY-i11!• <i 1•fla : t')) :•(1J J11•Yfl ~'bi)rJ~'1 11:1/11 j') 1/17'a.~1 '•^It' 1 t,,~• . .1• . CANCER RES EARCH N-r ' ,. VOLUME 16 ~• -i; nq ao ,wnnuz:rfol MARCH 1956 NumaER 3 . ~ ~ ) • ~R w , ;c,_...~ ~ 10 ~nr. ~r]r.l a eluf xt~r*t..~rr;n'-'.ti'~^tr: ,wt - ~3 .tono?, Guest Edltorial1l ~h/b ~l t.r~y d nuk•rry :n ~1a~7 ~ i AtEwdlJ7~f inzinrin ~.-Q1t.ii.•, 1-•.•1i nra fna~l otl:! 3:/c,~r,w -,,. 'r . 1,url IntS~e?~~d~ , ` iaar 1 d r 1 L v1 IIi idf 1' ~i3 d i ~ ~' • ~ . ? { s t r 10 us ~ • ' _ SMOFiTNG AND LVNG CANCER ~ .. .. -~ -J.. - ' {~ . l evla f1m: 1>si,nlhr eTOru, st1i ~Sira ,poti,~~Hdii,~tff gunl,C~'~f .~ ~ t>~ ~'~1 ~i11~ M~. r . I ~:n r•r1 In June, 1964, wben the first statistics indicat- arette amoling and ing an as.ociskion between ci g 't the incidence of lung cancer were presented, an eztraordinari}y interesting, if not unique, situation resulted. -itc n~ry~l~: It .vas tlle first tin~e that a national health organization hd offered data claiming an associa- `" tion betweea a widespread and long existing bu= ..- 'jat man babit aid malignant disease. At the aame h h~ d same aut ors time, data w.rd advanee by t that pur-portai•t.o show an association b'etween cigarette smoking and coronary diseax' 11117 Of course, the main question raixd by thex data was to wirat degree, if any, did they bear on a eauaal relatioaship between smoking a.nd the two important dixases aith which a rtnliatical aaaocia= tion was elaia.r3. So obvious was the importance of this .question that certain clinicians, sta- tisticiane, asi epidemiologists assumed imrnedi- ately that this statistical association proved a causal relationship. Radical "preventive" pro- cedu.res were suggested, such as prohibiting the use of cigarettes. This indicated a dormant "emotional virus" aimilar to the violent "anti-alcobol" re- action. So, to some degree, did the suggestion of establishing educational activities to "warn youth" of the lethality of the babit. In this situation, many of those who have long been engaged in cancer research felt that the traditional scientific approach--clarification, defi- nition, and unemotional analysis-was required. This seemed necessary for a number of reasons, among which may be listed the folloa-ing: ' ~'=r 1. The claim of any single or major cause of any y type of bu.man cancer is of great scienti6c im- portance. It should be based on as direct and eom- plete evidence as it is possible to obtain. 2. When the claimed or implied cause is present in the daily life of many milli,)ns of people, a social obligation of great seriousness and national im- port is added to the problem. -' s. After a"cause and effect" relationship has been claimed or even strongly implied, either the failure to prove its existence or the obtaining of rrsults which ahow only a distinctly minor, uncer-' tain, or unpredictable causal relationship could •.'- easily cause at least two unhappy effects: (a) ' '`' ' Public confidence in announced eonc}usions from. .. ., researcL„ could be allaken or destroyed, therebY .:., decr•e.a.sing its support. (b) The results of long-';~:'•'?'~ continued education of the ublic could be dis p rupted or undone by doubts of the validity of " " research programs based on findings:' 4. Cancer of the lung is difii cuh of ear}y diagnosis. Its incidence is affected by age and sex. 4 ; The lung, by being a eommon site of inetastasis presents a further eomplication For example the . , relatively recent and marked changes in effective; ' ness of di, . agnosis. The changing attitude towards.."; .cJ~ •,~• : reporting cancer as a cause of death and the cbang-. ing proportions of autopsies are other factors. It . is, therefore, a type of cancer which has in its incidence many variables-technical, statistical, ' and biological. All these things make it an ezceed- ingly difficult type in which to prove a simple . c• cause-and-e8ect relationship. ,. As soon as the statistical data were available for evaluation, it appeared to many laboratory ~/' investigators and scientifically minded clinicians%;~,,.~~ti that a great deal of ne a- knowledge based on tensive and intensive research was needed before ":~ the claims of a cause-and-effect relationship could be considered as having been proved. .. Quite naturally, the tobacco industry itself '.t ~ sas deeplyd ditbd I J ::~~~ concerned ansure.nanuary,••. 1954, virtually all the major companies joined a-ith other tobacco groups to form the Tobacco InduSt ~e9earch Committee to tu ~' PPort and i continue rexarcb on a broad and inclusive scale until final and convincing answers to the problem -~ were obtained. : - ~ The entire responsibilitv for the industry's .. 183 CTR 4004" ; v . , ys.. . ....`~ ~. rl tq 0 0 0 (7i
Page 2: vbr30a00
_ .`..t~~ . '=2".'tlt.r~•1:~~^ - 184 rtisuha of the entire research program, without fear or favor. The Board has, and always will have, one objective, namely, to'find the whole truth and to J Cancer Research research effort was placed in the hands of a Sci- entif,c Advisory Board of men pledged from the outset to plan, observe, and make available the ments by the i,tduatry that this is its irrevocable research in fields and for purposes not now being pobcyJ 'eovered.:.../.... The total of E1,3'J0,000 already appropriated . This is, I believe, an entirely new departure for by the industry for research on tobacco in relation any industry-supported research efiort. To hand to bumart health is a significant material con- over to a group of scientists the power of creating g , . __ g p y gges p n ree m a pro tioni or pressure by the industry in any form results to the donor. what..o.ver. There have been several public state- Second, the Board can itself plan and initiate u aranteein "'• it has bee ject which has a false sense of " kf t com letel f fro u eriod - Organizations supported by public subscrip- tion find it difficult or impossible to give funds to any research other than that which is definitely described, budgeted, and restricted to a classi- fiable project. ' Pioneer research, however, is the cr'eative are that it is made known as quickly and effective- "idea" phase of discovery. It is the absolutely ly as poasibla -. .• . l.,%.1,! i' easential forerunner of progress to the "project„ It Las been almost two years since the Scientific stage. It has been relatively neglected in competi- Advi..ory Board was organiud. During the entire tion with the more restricted and "literal" ` , Firat, from its own collective evaluation of uiati^~ 1': Roscoe $. JacZsan indi.iduals, departments, or institutions, it can i1~n7:ni a,irrrnza zt.rwl:: Memz,~ J•aboralory recommend financial support of basic or pioneer rrsearcb on the basis of promise and faith rather ' Dr. C_ C. Iatk i. Direa.or o1 the Ro.OCIe B. J.duon 3lemorial Lbontory and 'n Cfaairman and Scienti6e Direetor, than on a purely factual and materialistic stand- Scie nti6c Ad.i,or, Bo.rd to the Tob.coo lndurtry Rc~e.rcb ard. Committee. ... _ upon the future freedom of support for basic contribution of service to mankind and may well rtee&aclz. ,.:' 1 y„ •.,l •/r establisb a precedent or pattern which other indus- Tbty rest upon the folloa-ing premises, the tries will follow:,• soundom of which seems unquestioned:,: • 1 1 Should this occur, the stability and develop- . Tb. Scientific Advisory Board to the TLRC ment of basic research in a democracy will be has cxztain opportunities and obligation•9 of tre= assured on a foundation of nonpolitical support, mendous importance to the future development of unselfish and idealistic in concept and ezecution: scientific research in the United Statea: z+nv+ IoRr,ivriv.• C. C. LrrrtE• :'t tribution towards advancing knowledge. The new research activity is a great and exciting de- •- industry has also pledged additional funds for velopment research asthe need develops. •.•r.•.. •,1l•) , If those of us on the Board have the wisdom ` Perhaps the most exciting and promising fea- and vision to plan creatively, we may be able to tures of the whole effort, hooc'ever, are the long- justify this confidence placed in us. I# we do justify time implications of the impact of this program it, tbe tobacco industry x-ill have made its greattst ,i. ..r .., , ..,,.. ... r •;ri.•!:nvt. '•^.7'A' ..:.lr '•I'.; : t' rfnn, .!i(l,:fl tuh ':n •ljtlFt!!~;-sr!! ~o '~,aJr•;'; ,l: .'. - I•1:,: > '1 9r1)dI ~O.M t : r• JTt 'l 1O = `' }' ii ' U i il I i l Ii n 3i i i C i sl l i r, jf , n . . -... : tt, Jlll J c, : r r ~ ~n . H1 I P ' e ~ u 5 7 Y l e t r ~ Jv) 1"r.l:•i ),, fU••;. jJ;l;l-J; jCri~ h:}1y. J!:?j '~In~ f1YaL9!Y1~IY1C£7:{If b9~£~T. ••y ~ eicV.` y!•-lr',:"1 •N1%wW:: lm l: nrr1,:~ai~u1•'r--r(~r.cnqt}c:o>3ifn9i~~ • "l'4•_ ab• ,; `..•Oclu:tcl J:1 .i ~.1:ul~ilr?c)•. `4 t v,l y..~ ~;~.ct~oyl.ni:.vnr.lotLittl~o:7 .? .(Krj['t~u1•. Jai !1J]l'l.(,1 i(lf70- .., 1~u>r 3,r,n,til, .,5..~~liiat::a '1 I ,, .;.ir.lri>Cl . •,a,,~tltlJtiag~iold(,roq a.!i rx n~ni:ri:4 r( 1 C T R 4005 ,.-. CI~#~i Ht-4 005,C-07-11

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