Meat raises lung cancer risk, too, study finds
by Maggie Fox, Health and Science Editor - Mon Dec 10, 5:15 PM PST

Source:

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

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.

After eight years, 53,396 cases of cancer were diagnosed.

"Statistically significant elevated risks (ranging from 20 percent to
60 percent) were evident for esophageal, colorectal, liver, and lung
cancer, comparing individuals in the highest with those in the lowest
quintile of red meat intake," the researchers wrote.

The people in the top 20 percent of eating processed meat had a 20
percent higher risk of colorectal cancer -- mostly rectal cancer --
and a 16 percent higher risk for lung cancer.

"Furthermore, red meat intake was associated with an elevated risk for
cancers of the esophagus and liver," the researchers wrote.

These differences held even when smoking was accounted for....

[more at the link above]

The full study can be accessed here. (The link in the Yahoo Reuters
news piece does not work at this time):

http://medicine.plosjournals.org/per...l.pmed.0040325

If that link doesn't work, this one might:

http://tinyurl.com/3dw3wq

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