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Red meat, processed meat linked to cancer?

Page last modified on: October 16, 2008
Question from Justine: I saw a news report yesterday that red meat and processed meat are linked to breast cancer. How much red meat is bad, and what is processed meat exactly?
Answer —Cyndi Thomson, Ph.D., R.D.: Processed meat in this study was defined as bacon, ham, corned beef, lunch meat, sausage, liver pate, salami, and even meat pizza. And, finally, SPAM. Although the report suggests that processed meat and meat in general increases the risk of breast cancer, it was mostly the post-menopausal women that were at risk. And certainly, processed meat and meat in general is a major of source of saturated fat, which has been linked to breast cancer in other studies but not consistently, though. The Women's Health Initiative, where post-menopausal women were placed on a low-fat diet, which would restrict meat, suggested that this diet did not reduce breast cancer risk in post-menopausal women. However, among the women who started out with the highest fat in their diet, reducing fat did help to reduce the risk of breast cancer.

On Wednesday, April 18, 2007, the Ask-the-Expert Online Conference was called Weight Management During and After Breast Cancer Treatment. Cyndi Thomson, Ph.D., R.D. and Melinda Irwin Ph.D., M.P.H. answered your questions on managing weight during and after breast cancer treatment.

The materials presented in these conferences do not necessarily reflect the views of breastcancer.org. A qualified healthcare professional should be consulted before using any therapeutic product or regimen discussed. All readers should verify all information and data before employing any therapies described here.

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Meet the Experts

Cyndi Thomson, Ph.D., R.D.Cyndi Thomson, Ph.D., R.D. is an associate professor in Nutritional Sciences at the University of Arizona - with joint appointments in medicine and public health.

Melinda Irwin, Ph.D., M.P.H. is an assistant professor in the department of Epidemiology and Public Health at Yale School of Medicine.

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