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Science 11 December 1998:
Vol. 282. no. 5396, pp. 1963 - 1965
DOI: 10.1126/science.282.5396.1963
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News of the Week

EXPERT WITNESSES:
Scientific Panel Clears Breast Implants

Jocelyn Kaiser

On 30 November, a scientific panel issued a long-awaited report finding no evidence that silicone breast implants cause systemic diseases in women. The report possibly lays to rest one of the biggest scientific-legal controversies of the decade, involving thousands of lawsuits seeking billions of dollars in damages. Legal scholars are paying close attention, because the panel is part of a sea change in courtrooms since a 1993 U.S. Supreme Court ruling called on trial judges to scrutinize the validity of scientific evidence themselves before it is presented to a jury. Earlier this week the Supreme Court also heard arguments in a case in which it could offer guidance as to when other kinds of expert testimony should meet scientific standards.

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Science. ISSN 0036-8075 (print), 1095-9203 (online)