Meat raises lung cancer risk, too, study finds

[LaurenG]

By Maggie Fox, Health and Science Editor - Mon Dec 10, 5:15 PM PST

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - People who eat a lot of red meat and processed meats have a higher risk of several types of cancer, including lung cancer and colorectal cancer, U.S. researchers reported on Monday.

The work is the first big study to show a link between meat and lung cancer. It also shows that people who eat a lot of meat have a higher risk of liver and esophageal cancer and that men raise their risk of pancreatic cancer by eating red meat.

"A decrease in the consumption of red and processed meat could reduce the incidence of cancer at multiple sites," Dr. Amanda Cross and colleagues at the U.S. National Cancer Institute wrote in their report, published in the Public Library of Science journal PLoS Medicine.

The researchers studied 500,000 people aged 50 to 71 who took part in a diet and health study done in conjunction with the AARP, formerly the American Association for Retired Persons.


http://health.yahoo.com/news/reuters/cancer_meat_dc.html

[flamingyouth]

1. It's a groundbreaking study.

I found this part to be especially fascinating, however:

"Red meat intake was not associated with gastric or bladder cancer, leukemia, lymphoma, or melanoma," added the researchers, whose study is freely available on the Internet at http://medicine.plosjournals.org/perlserv/?request=get-document& doi=10.1371/journal.pmed.0040325.

Red meat was defined as all types of beef, pork and lamb. Processed meat included bacon, red meat sausage, poultry sausage, luncheon meats, cold cuts, ham and most types of hot dogs including turkey dogs.

Actually, when I was diagnosed with bladder cancer, one of the first things I was told was to never eat bacon or any other smoked, processed or cured meats, as there was a direct link between them and bladder cancer. Both my urologist and oncologist told me that. Of course, I was way ahead of them there. I just thought it was odd that they contradict that in this study. There's always been a proven link between smoke & nitrites and bladder cancer, AFAIK. :shrug:

But off my soapbox, I can't say I was shocked by the overall result here.

[defendandprotect]

2. Topped off by 20 RECALLS of ground beef this year --- e-coli --- !!!!