Red meat and processed meat increases pancreatic cancer risk

Larsson and Wolk 2012 conducted a meta-analysis of 11 prospective studies with 6643 pancreatic cancer cases. The authors found that consumption of red meat was associated with an increase in pancreatic cancer risk in men (RR=1.29),  but not in women (RR=0.93) and 120 g red meat per day was associated with an overall relative risk (RR=1.13), 50 g per day increase in processed meat consumption was  (RR=1.19). [1]

The 2007 World Cancer Research Fund/American Institute of Cancer Research [2]
The 2007 report of the World Cancer Research Fund/American Institute of Cancer Research  presented convincing evidence that red meats and processed meats are a cause of colorectal cancer. There is limited evidence suggesting that red meat is a cause of cancers of the oesophagus, lung, pancreas and endometrium. Cantonese-style salted fish is a probable cause of nasopharyngeal cancer. There is also limited evidence that animal foods that are grilled (broiled), barbecued (charbroiled), or smoked, are a cause of stomach cancer.

The report uses the term ‘red meat’ to refer to beef, pork, lamb, and goat from domesticated animals, and the term ‘processed meat’ to refer to meats preserved by smoking, curing, or salting, or addition of chemical preservatives.

High intake of red and processed meat associated with colorectal, colon and rectal cancer [3]
Ten recent prospective studies were assessed by Chan et al. 2011. They concluded that high intake of red and processed meat increases significantly the  risk of colorectal, colon and rectal cancers, and suggest to limit these foods in dietary recommendation. Of cancer prevention.

Overall, the relative risk (RR) of colorectal cancer for the highest versus the lowest intake was 1.22  and the RR for every 100 g/day increase was 1.14, and the risk increases linearly with increasing intake of red and processed meats up to approximately 140 g/day, where the curve approaches its plateau.

Red and processed meat intake not associated with prostate cancer [4]
Alexander et al. 2012 analysed data of fifteen studies of red meat and 11 studies of processed meat. No association with high red meat consumption and total prostate cancer was observed. However a weakly association between processed meat and total prostate cancer was found but data were not conclusive. The stress that independent positive association between red or processed meat intake and prostate cancer could not be supported.

[1] Larsson SC, Wolk A: Red and processed meat consumption and risk of pancreatic cancer: meta-analysis of prospective studies. Br J Cancer. 2012 Jan 12. doi: 10.1038/bjc.2011.585.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22240790

[2]  The 2007 World Cancer Research Fund/American Institute of Cancer Research report
http://eprints.ucl.ac.uk/4841/1/4841.pdf

[3] Chan DS, Lau R, Aune D, Vieira R, Greenwood DC, Kampman E, Norat T: Red and processed meat and colorectal cancer incidence: meta-analysis of prospective studies.PLoS One. 2011;6(6):e20456.
http://www.plosone.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0020456

[4] Alexander DD, Mink PJ, Cushing CA, Sceurman B: A review and meta-analysis of prospective studies of red and processed meat intake and prostate cancer. Nutr J. 2010 Nov 2;9:50
http://www.nutritionj.com/content/9/1/50