A study published in the International Journal of Cancer reviewed the links between red meat consumption and the incidence of breast cancer, and has attracted mainstream media attention.
The study, published in early August, noted meat consumption has been suggested to increase risk of cancer, but associations have not been consistently found.
From 2003 to 2009, more than 42,000 study participants completed a survey on their meat consumption upon enrollment to the Sister Study, a long-term study of women in the U.S. whose sisters had breast cancer.
Exposure to meat type and meat mutagens, agents that can cause genetic mutation, were calculated to evaluate the association to invasive breast cancer risk.
During a follow-up at least a year after enrollment, 1,536 breast cancers were diagnosed in participants.
The cancers were correlated with increasing consumption of red meat, whereas poultry products were associated with decreased risk of breast cancer.
No associations to cancer were observed for cooking practices, estimated carcinogens or heme iron, a type of iron only found in animal proteins. WLJ was unable to access the complete study details.
