Cigarette Maker Sponsored Lung Cancer Study
In October 2006, researchers Dr. Claudia Henschke of Weill Cornell Medical College jolted the cancer world with a study saying that 80 percent of lung cancer deaths could be prevented through widespread use of CT scans. The study was published in The New England Journal of Medicine.
A small print in the study noted that it had been financed in part by a little-known charity called “The Foundation for Lung Cancer: Early Detection, Prevention & Treatment” but a recent review of tax records showed that the foundation was underwritten almost entirely by $3.6 million in grants from the makers of the Liggett Select, Eve, Grand Prix, Quest and Pyramid cigarette brands.
This news has shocked prominent cancer researchers. Studies have shown that sponsored research tends to reach conclusions that favor the sponsor, which is why disclosure is encouraged. The tobacco industry has a long history of underwriting research — sometimes through independent-sounding foundations — to make cigarettes seem less dangerous.
Source:”Cigarette Company Paid for Lung Cancer Study” New York Times, 26 March 2008
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