Norwegian doctor bigger cheat than first thought

Jan 24 2006

The Norwegian doctor who has already admitted faking data for an article about oral cancer has now come clean about two other fake pieces of research.

According to his lawyer, work by Jon Sudbo, a cancer expert at Norway's Radium Hospital which comprised three published articles were fabricated.

Apparently the other two articles were also published by leading medical journals in addition to one already exposed as a fabrication.

Lawyer Erling Lyngtveit has reportedly said that 44-year-old Sudbo has admitted making up data for an article in the New England Journal of Medicine in April 2004 and another in the Journal of Clinical Oncology in March 2005, as well as one in the Lancet in October 2005, which was the one exposed as false a week ago.

Lyngtveit says that Sudbo, is prepared to cooperate fully with investigators.

Sudbo has also said that none of his co-authors knew that he was faking data.

Lyngtveit believes Sudbo's actions were not financially motivated but more about honor, fame, success, and to be able to point to achievements.

Since his hospital first accused him of fabricating the data in his article in the Lancet, Sudbo has been on sick leave.

It seems the Lancet article by Sudbo and co-authors stated that commonly used painkillers could reduce the risks of mouth cancer in smokers but that long-term use could raise the chances of dying from heart disease.

The hospital says that he concocted patients for the apparent review of 454 people with oral cancer.

Lyngtveit says that Sudbo had falsely claimed to have based his conclusions in the New England Journal of Medicine cancer study, on Norway's register of deaths, but he has admitted that he did not have access to the register.

According to his lawyer Sudbo now says he can no longer stand by the conclusions drawn in the article.

In the article in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, it seems Sudbo also incorrectly claimed that he had taken blood samples from all smokers involved in a survey when he had in fact only taken some samples.

Sudbo is currently under investigation by the Norwegian health authorities who have it in their power to reprimand, sack or bar doctors from practicing medicine for violations.

Norway is also considering a new law under which research cheats could be jailed.