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. 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.
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 (see 2007 entry). Summary at the Our Stolen Future website.