Study Strenghtens Link Between Charred Meat and Cancer

In a study led by SPH associate professor Kristin Anderson, researchers found that the odds of pancreatic cancer doubled in people who ate the most grilled or barbecued red meat (between 3 and 21 ounces a week) compared with those with no or low intake of grilled or barbecued red meat.  Study participants included 192 patients diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and 670 people who did not have cancer. Findings appeared in the journal Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers, and Prevention.

This is the first study to extensively measure cooking methods and doneness preferences of meat, along with consumption, in relation to pancreatic cancer. While cancer causing compounds form on the surface of meat during grilling and frying, the levels of the carcinogens depend on cooking temperature and degree of doneness. Consuming higher amounts of well-done meat containing these carcinogens is associated with increased risk of pancreatic cancer. By contrast, the cancer-causing compounds do not form in baked or stewed meats.

To reduce the levels of carcinogens in meat, Anderson suggests lowering the temperature when pan-frying; microwaving the meat and pouring off the juices before grilling; making sure flames don’t lap the meat; and, cutting away burned or charred portions.

“Only a few previous studies of pancreatic cancer have considered methods of meat preparation along with intake, and none have incorporated doneness preferences to the extent we have here,” says Anderson. “Not accounting for how people prepare their meat, in addition to how much meat they consume, may explain some of the inconsistent findings in past research on diet and pancreatic cancer.”