Cigarette Company Funded Lung Cancer Study

New York Times:

In October 2006, 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.

Small print at the end of the study, published in The New England Journal of Medicine, noted that it had been financed in part by a little-known charity called the Foundation for Lung Cancer: Early Detection, Prevention & Treatment. A review of tax records by The New York Times shows that the foundation was underwritten almost entirely by $3.6 million in grants from the parent company of the Liggett Group, maker of Liggett Select, Eve, Grand Prix, Quest and Pyramid cigarette brands.

The foundation got four grants from the Vector Group, Liggett's parent, from 2000 to 2003.

Read the whole story: New York Times

Comments

[maggiemae656]

You have got to give me a break. The medical field is all up in arms about a tobacco company putting money into research? The industry is involved in selling products that are said to be injurious to the health. If a researcher allows themselves to bias their studies based on the funding, we have a really big problem. Who is the bad guy--the ones putting up the cash, or the ones who under the guise of a professional title, make their studies fit the desired result? It is more scary to me to hear that medical science can be bought--why is there no recourse against these people who release bought information?

We don't want tobacco funded medical studies...but studies funded by pharmaceutical companies and medical equipment technology equipment manufactures are okay? I think we'd better stand back a little bit and find out what exactly these big companies are buying with their research dollars. Does anyone really think that drug companies are not in cahoots with their researchers? Medical studies are extremely subjective, and can be creatively designed.

[sufi66]

Not too many things more disgusting than this. Dr. Claudia Henschke is your classic collaborator, in bed
with the enemy. How does she sleep at night?

[gonnuts]

Let me guess - they found there is absolutely no connection between lung cancer and smoking, as a matter of fact they found out that smoking is good for you, that the 174 chemicals put into cigarettes actually clear your lungs and it's natural to fill your lungs with carcinogens, it promotes good breath and makes your teeth whiter ... gee, who knew?

Camel anyone?

[thebanana]

Tobacco companies trying to fool the public? Nah, coudn't happen.