A study published last week in the British Journal of Cancer has found evidence that an increase in the consumption of red meat and processed meat leads to an increased risk of developing cancer of the pancreas. The authors write that “identification of risk factors for this cancer is of great public health importance” due to its high mortality rates.
By looking at previous research into consumption 
of meat and various cancers, the authors found that there was no association between red meat consumption and pancreatic cancer in women (although men were consistently found to eat higher quantities of red meat than women). Both men and women who ate 50g of processed meat were found to have a 19% higher risk of developing the cancer.
The study did not look at other risk factors and the authors recommend that further studies are needed to rule out the impact of other causes of pancreatic cancer such as smoking.
