Does Grilled Meat Influence Mortality in Breast Cancer Patients?

According to a recent study, grilled, barbecued, and smoked meats, which contain polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon carcinogens, may increase mortality rates in breast cancer survivors.

Researchers interviewed 1508 women about their consumption of grilled meats who were diagnosed in 1996 or 1997 with primary invasive or in situ breast cancer, and 5 years later, with a median of 17.6 years of follow-up overall. Prediagnosis and postdiagnosis intake was measured and compared, and the hazard ratio and mortality rates were estimated using a multivariable Cox regression model.
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During the follow-up, 237 breast cancer related deaths occurred, and 597 deaths occurred overall.

Their findings showed that high consumption of grilled, barbecued, and smoked meat before diagnosis of breast cancer increased the risk of all-cause mortality by 1.23-fold. Women who continued to consume grilled, barbecued, and smoked meat after diagnosis had an elevated all-cause mortality risk of 31% (hazard ratio: 1.31).

Conversely, consumption of smoked poultry and fish decreased the risk of breast-cancer specific mortality in women both before and after diagnosis (hazard ratio= .55).

The study illustrated that grilled, barbecued, and smoked meats, aside from poultry and fish, increased all-cause mortality in women both before and after breast cancer diagnosis.

—Melissa Weiss

Reference:

Humberto P, Steck SE, Bradshaw Pt, et al. Grilled, barbecued, and smoked meat intake and survival following breast cancer [published online before print January 4, 2017]. Journal of the National Cancer Institute. doi: 10.1093/jnci/djw299.