Should Big Tobacco be funding research on lung cancer? Is Big Tobacco attempting to change its public image by appearing altruistic and funding research or is the involvement driven by the possibility of influencing results? Are research organizations and universities becoming hooked on funding from Big Tobacco?
On March 26th, The New York Times published an article on the medical research of Dr. Henschke of Cornell Medical College. Her study, which was printed in The New England Journal of Medicine (2006), concluded that “80 percent of lung cancer deaths could be prevented through widespread use of CT scans.” This study was revolutionary in cancer research. However her research was funded by the Foundation for Lung Cancer: Early Detection, Prevention and Treatment, a virtually unknown organization. The Foundation received multiple grants totaling $3.6 million from the Vector Group, the parent company of Liggett Group. The funding was not clearly disclosed to The New England Journal of Medicine or the readers. In the past few weeks, the funding source has come to light and put into question the validity of findings. The New England Journal of Medicine stated in the article that “we have never knowingly published anything supported” by tobacco companies. Even though tobacco funding is available and easily attainable, many universities have banned funding from tobacco companies. Other organizations have come to rely solely on these charitable gifts. From an ethical viewpoint, what should be the role of Big Tobacco in research?
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/26/health/research/26lung.html?ref=health
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