Cancer link to processed meat, claim

Friday January 13th, 2012

Having too much processed meat, such as sausages and bacon, in the diet may increase the risk of cancer of the pancreas, according to research published today.

Although processed meat increases the risk of disease by nearly a fifth - but fewer than one in 50 people will contract the disease.

It compares with smoking, which increases the risk of developing the disease by 74 per cent.

The research published today in the British Journal of Cancer claims that for every 50 grams of processed meat eaten every day, which equates to a sausage or two rashers of bacon, there was a 19 per cent rise in the risk of pancreatic cancer compared with those who ate no meat.

The percentage increase cited by the study is in addition to the lifetime risk of developing pancreatic cancer, which stands at a relatively low 1 in 77 for chance for men and 1 in 79 for women.

The study, led by Associate Professor Susanna Larsson, study author based at the Karolinska Institutet in Stockholm, Sweden, analysed the results of 11 studies involving over 6,000 people with pancreatic cancer.

“Pancreatic cancer has poor survival rates. So as well as diagnosing it early, it’s important to understand what can increase the risk of this disease,” she said.

“If diet does affect pancreatic cancer then this could influence public health campaigns to help reduce the number of cases of this disease developing in the first place.”

According to the researchers, their evidence of the effect of red meat was inconclusive - but it may increase male risk.

Sara Hiom, director of information at Cancer Research UK, treated the findings with caution.

“The jury is still out as to whether meat is a definite risk factor for pancreatic cancer and more large studies are needed to confirm this. But this new analysis suggests processed meat may be playing a role,” she said.

“We do know that, among lifestyle factors, smoking significantly ramps up the risk of pancreatic cancer. Stopping smoking is the best way to reduce your chances of developing many types of cancer and other diseases as well.”

Red and processed meat consumption and risk of pancreatic cancer: meta-analysis of prospective studies. Larsson, S C et al. British Journal of Cancer January 13 2012. DOI: 10.1038/bjc.2011.585

Tags: Cancer | Diabetes | Diet & Food | Europe | UK News

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