4 LISTENER FEBRUARY 29 2020
LETTERS KATHERINE M
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a pharmacy technician in her
late teens.
Information on treatment
proved to be limited and
contradictory. When a biopsy
was taken, I asked for details
about the type of cancer and
the best treatment for that
cancer. We had been told that
there were at least a hundred
different types of breast cancer
so, in an age of cheap genetic
sequencing, I imagined
that every cancer would be
identified and the data from
thousands of patients would
be cross-referenced to produce
a statistical indicator for the
best treatment.
In fact, all the biopsy did
was allow an experienced tech-
nician to make an estimation
of the existence of cancer, or
not. It had no effect on treat-
ment. No genetic testing was
ever done, apparently for “pri-
vacy reasons”. The biopsy was
not frozen and kept to make
this possible in the future.
It is distressing that our
experience was not mined for
its potential ability to help
others. Helen would have
wanted that.
Brian Arps
(Birkdale, Auckland)
Regrettably, there is nothing
to suggest that any confidence
clinicians may have in the
newly formed Cancer Control
Agency is well founded. So far,
Nature versus
nurture
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The 2018 documentary Three
Identical Strangers raises the
same question as “Gene pull”
(February 22) – is nature or
nurture the predominant
factor in life outcomes?
The film looks at American
triplets who were separated
and adopted out at birth, with
the documentary starting
when they fortuitously recon-
nected as 19-year-olds.
Although each boy was
raised in different homes with
variable socio-economic condi-
tions, it was clear that, 19 years
later, the differences between
their personalities, aspirations
and abilities were minimal.
It was hard to miss the com-
monalities: each boy had been
brought up in a two-parent
family where education was
valued; there was no obvious
neglect or abuse; and their par-
ents were credible role models.
Although genetics play a sig-
nificant role in life outcomes,
it must be acknowledged that
parents or caregivers are the
first role models for children.
The breakdown of traditional
family structure is mirrored
in the early life experiences of
many prisoners, children in
state care and our abhorrent
teen suicide statistics.
Ray Calver
(Grey Lynn, Auckland)
Blueprint author Robert Plomin
reopens a debate known as
“Dawkins vs Gould”. This is
also the title of a useful (and
mercifully brief) book on
the “Darwin wars” by Kim
Sterelny, who taught at Victo-
ria University of Wellington
from 1988-2008.
So, what’s the gist? Godwits
are supposedly “designed” to
fly, while still very young, the
11,000km from Siberia and
Alaska to New Zealand. Many
don’t make it.
In theory, every human
should be able to accomplish
anything that any human
has ever achieved. Alas, your
genes will determine what you
will not be able to achieve.
However, a good upbringing
will enable you to reach some
of your potential.
Arch Thomson
(Mt Wellington, Auckland)
I’m afraid I remain uncon-
vinced that nature overrules
nurture in determining our
future success.
Genes can ordain physical
and mental traits to a degree,
but I am not persuaded that
non-cognitive skills such as
self-control, motivation, deter-
mination, tenacity, resilience,
empathy, curiosity and more
are genetically predetermined.
Robert Plomin asserts “there
is no evidence that these
parenting practices make a
difference” in developing
a child’s “grit”. However,
there are volumes of credible
research evidence in support
of nurture being able to foster
soft skills. But I think common
sense told us that.
John Hellner
(Papamoa Beach)
RNZ CONCERT BROUHAHA
Philip Temple (Letters,
February 22) is right to
point out the various crass
dumbing-down activities
in the arts perpetrated
under this Government.
Roger Hall
(Takapuna, Auckland)
Philip Temple has updated the
number of books destroyed by the
National Library: it’s 600,000.
- Ed
I take issue with the Editorial
comment that RNZ National is
“skewed towards Wellington”,
suggesting that this is some
sort of disease that needs to
be addressed (February 22). It
ignores the fact that almost all
other media is heavily skewed
to another city, and often
those media seem to delight
in using phrases such as “in
the city” or “on the shore”, by
which they presumably mean
Auckland or parts thereof,
and by default ignoring that
there are other cities in New
Zealand.
The unhealthy imbalance
in many aspects of the media
that has evolved over the past
decade would be even worse if
RNZ National were to become
less “Wellington-skewed”.
There can be few countries
in the world where such an
imbalance is evident.
Geoffrey Horne
(Raumati)CANCER BATTLE PLAN
The cover story (“Out of the
Stone Age”, February 15) in
which US oncologist Azra
Raza calls for improvements in
cancer treatments must have
struck a chord with many.
When my wife, Helen, was
diagnosed with breast cancer
at age 49, she commented that
the drugs being used to treat
her were in use when she was