Tobacco Documents Online

/ENE 1N NEWS SC C - ,:k~ CLEVELE1rTD PLAIIQ DEALER ~ 3.eveland, Ohio [f ~ . .; L March 29,196o Bald Spots in Lungs May Lure Cancer March 29, 196o a medical researcher said yes- terda By ALTON' BLAKESLEE LOUISVILLE, Ky. 181-Killed In action In a single day: 500,- 000 sweeper cells in your lungs. :This can happen In an acute lung infection. Influenza and c h r o n f c Infections including =bronchitis could lead to stag- gering losses of these sweeper, hair-like cells or cilia which :`;-,cC.ciea th b athin tube f ns e re s o g e ; t ; the lungs. - Whole "islands" of missing -.-cells couid p r o v i'd e barren places where . cigarette tars, chemicals from polluted air or , ~ ~.pther agents could collect and -Durhamy North Carolina epen the gate to lung cancers. Leaf Spokesman .Prevention or control of Says Lung Cancer Study Incomplete NEW YORK (UPI) - The To- bacco Industry Research Com- mittee said Monday no "positive conclusions'P coul& be drawn on the cause of lung cancer without s[ more research to get needed'facts and eidence. evidence. ~ Committee Chairman Timoty V. .,,~ Hartnett issued the statement in ~P response to reports presented at (~ an American Cancer Society sem- ~ 1 inar on cancer research at Louis- ~ vilie, Ky. Dr. Alton Ochsner, New Or- leans suzgeon who was one of (h the first scientists to report a be- Q1 lief smoking and lung cancer were related, told the seminar he still believed only a decrease in chronic lung infections thus could be a good defense against lung cancer, Dr. George N. Pa- panicolaou of Cornell, Univer- sity Medical College told an' American Cancer Society sem- inar for science writers. In his; Dr. C y n t h I a Pierce of the RoCkefeller Institute. Asian Flu Kills Cilia Great losses of cilia cells have been found in some victims of Asian flu in 1957, he said. The great flu epidemic and pneumo- nias of 1918-20 possibly could have influenced later lung can- cers, Dr. Papanicolaou added. Eleven out of 24 aromatic hydrocarbons In cigarette tars have been found to cause cancer when applied to laboratory ani- mals, said Dr. Benjamin van Duuren of New York University Beilevue Medicai Center. They are not present In tobacco Itself, but are formed in 'the burning of the cigarette. All 11 combined are not suf- ficient in amounts to account for lung cancer, and other can- cer-causing chemicals "must be present In cigarette tars," he said. Tars from cigars and pipes absence, his report was read by1cont'ain even larger amounts of ...,-, .~ 1. -Jli-.'?d .~ rn.. ~ cigarette smoking would' bring ~ about a decrease in lung cancer. Hartnett said "outstanding sci: entists here and abroad" shared the opinion that more research was necessary before a definite link could be proved. "We do not think the preseirt campaign of repeating the anti- stnoking theories of the extrem• ists will ever constitute proof ot the charges they make against smoking," Hartnett said. • He quoted a recent editorial of the .Journai of the American~Med- icali Assn. as saying "that there is not 'sufficient evidence to war- rant the assumption, of an all-or- none authoritative position' in re- gard to the smoking theory."' lung cancer to smoking, de- scientific evidence and opinion clared; "These same men have I',doesn't back it up " been speculating about their I"As for talk about 'a 'safe' theories of cigarette smoi:ing!cigarette this is not new from , The Tobacr.o Institute, Inc.'for a number ot years and wei'ithem either," he added, "Bua ; see nothin new in wh t th g a ey hat is new is the admission with headquarters .here, todayisay today except more guess-ly seientists at this same con- challenged reports coming h•omI work and opinion." Ierence that' they don't know the American Cancer Society' Mr. Ragland asserted the f any compounds present in seminar in Louisville, Ky. Igroup continues "to insist thatlP bacco smoke in sufficient Edward F. Ragland, vicel their ideas are right, even'lamounts to account for human president of the institute, re- i,when a great deal of ocher lhung cancer." ferring to statements linking, /_ 6 3` A Tne TFKEVENTNG STAR' Washington, D.C. March 30, 1960 these c h e m i c a 1 s, but such smokers may inhale less, or not at all, compared with cigarette smokers, Dr. van Duuren said. Filter cigarettes give lower amounts of tar per cigarette, but "do not accomplish selec- tive removal of -carcinogenic (cancer-causing) compounds." •• Studies are underway for ad- ditives which might reduce these chemicals, an& agents which would lower the burning temperature of the tobacco so fewer of the chemicals would be formed, he added. C.i~garetfe Firms Accused of Dodging the Facts Dr. Alton, Ochsner of New Orleans said he thinks the to- bacco industry is "guiit'y of denying facts because of finan- cial gain" in the cigarette-lung cancer;controversy. The surgeon long has held cigarettes to be a direct cause of lung cancer. • -• "In spite of the overwhelm- Ing evidence of the causal re- lationship of cigarette smoking and cancer, the tobacco indus- try has refused to admit the evidence, and has tried to con- fuse the issue by blaming other possible factors, such as air pollution," Dr. Ochsner told the ' science writers. ~- -:; "It seems to us that they would be on much firmer ground if they would admit that there Is a calculated risk in smoking ... and inform the .. public of this risk so that the responsibility of smoking is en- tirely the individual's." Industry's Reply The calculated risk "is not great because it' requires a relatively long period" of time, 20 years or more, for the con- dition to develop, although there Is tremendous variation In one's susceptibility to can- cer," Dr. Ochsner said. In New York, the Tobacco Industry Research Committee said In a statement: "Our position is and has been - that much more knowledge about cancer and especially: lung cancer is necessary before positive conclusions about the cause or causes can be estab- lished. This position is shared by outstanding scientists here and abroad, In keeping with our position, we do not believe it is fair to the general public or those con« nected with the tobacco indus- try-from grower to retailer- to permit extreme and untruee charges to' go unchallenged. Many doctors and scientists simply do not agree that the lung cancer question has been settled " 100354346'7 Tobacco Charges Hit by Institute