London Sunday Telegraph
Study fails to link passive smoking with cancer
By Victoria Macdonald, Health Correspondent 11
October, 1998
THE World Health Organisation has finally published a study which shows
that there is no significant statistical link between passive smoking and lung
cancer.
As reported by The Telegraph March the 12-centre, seven-country
European study failed to prove the anti-tobacco lobby's assertion that
there is a significant correlation between passive smoking and lung cancer.
The 10-year study was co-ordinated by the WHO's International Agency for
Research on Cancer, based in Lyons, France, and involved 650 lung cancer
patients who were compared with 1,542 healthy people. It looked at people
who were married to or worked with smokers, who worked with and were
married to smokers, and those who grew up with smokers.
Data was also collected on other environmental factors, such as heating and
cooking arrangements, exposure to known occupational lung carcinogens,
and, in some centres, dietary habits.
The study, which has been published in the Journal of the National Cancer
Institute, and is the largest of its kind in Europe, shows that there is "no
relationship between childhood exposure to second-hand smoke at home and
lung cancer".
And it found a "statistically non-significant positive association" between
exposure to spousal smoking and lung cancer and for those who work with
smokers.
The IARC scientists said in March that their findings translated into a 1617 per cent relative risk of contracting lung cancer if you lived or worked
with a smoker. But they now concede that 16-17 per cent is
statistically non-significant, implying that it could have been produced by
random chance.
The Telegraph was criticised for reporting the findings, which had been
quietly published in abstract form in the WHO's biennial report. Action on
Smoking and Health (Ash) reported The Sunday Telegraph to the Press
Complaints Commission claiming the article was "false and misleading".
Clive Bates, the director of Ash, said in a press release that the publication
supported his interpretation of the statistics. Mr Bates's objection to this
newspaper's report was largely founded on the headline: "Passive Smoking
Doesn't Cause Lung Cancer - Official". The word "official" referred to the
provenance of the findings - the WHO.
Mr Bates continued: "As yet, there has been no retraction, correction or
apology by the newspaper. . ."
The PCC has not yet made a decision on the complaint and the Ash press
release suggested that this was because of the appointment of Dominic
Lawson, the editor of The Sunday Telegraph, to the commission.
Mr Lawson said last night: "The Sunday Telegraph has no intention of
apologising for stating that the WHO study showed no significant
statistical correlation between passive smoking and lung cancer. The
press release from the National Cancer Institute refers to 'statistically
non-significant' links and in the case of childhood exposure'no
association' with lung cancer."
Mr Lawson added: "It is reprehensible of Ash to imply that I could in any way
delay the judgment of the PCC and, indeed, it would be most improper of me
to play any part in the PCC's deliberations on this matter."
In an interview with this newspaper on Friday Mr Bates said: "We are not
saying that if you are exposed to environmental tobacco smoke you are
going to fall down dead. If you are a non-smoker, you are not that likely to
get lung cancer."
He also said that the issue was heart disease. This was not, however, the
subject of the IARC report.