In 1991, NCI published a study that showed an association between cancer in dogs and the dog owners' use of 2,4-D. 4 Like the NCI studies of farmers, the dog study attracted a lot of attention, and editorials drew attention to the similarities of the cancers reported in the farmers and in the dogs. NCI stonewalled release of the data for more than 18 months. Eventually, NCI released the data, and scientists at Michigan State University reanalyzed the data. Their reanalysis revealed several flaws in the NCI dog study, and when those flaws were corrected, the association between 2,4-D and cancer in dogs disappeared. The 2,4-D saga shows the importance of citizens having access to data to check on the work of government scientists.
Science depends on skepticism, review, criticism, and replication.
Good science and good scientists thrive under those conditions. The science used to support regulations and taxes must be based on publicly available data for review and analysis. D.W. Docery, J.S. Evans, F.E. Speizer, and C.W. Health. Particulate matter as a predictor of mortality in a prospective study of United States adults. Letter to Steven J. Milloy, June 9, 1999.