Meat and Fish Consumption and Cancer in Canada

Abstract

In this study, we examined the association between meat and fish intake and the risk of various cancers. Mailed questionnaires were completed by 19,732 incident, histologically confirmed cases of cancer of the stomach, colon, rectum, pancreas, lung, breast, ovary, prostate, testis, kidney, bladder, brain, non-Hodgkin's lymphomas (NHL), and leukemia and 5,039 population controls between 1994 and 1997 in 8 Canadian provinces. Measurement included information on socioeconomic status, lifestyle habits, and diet. A 69-item food frequency questionnaire provided data on eating habits 2 yr before data collection. Odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals were derived through unconditional logistic regression. Total meat and processed meat were directly related to the risk of stomach, colon, rectum, pancreas, lung, breast (mainly postmenopausal), prostate, testis, kidney, bladder, and leukemia. Red meat was significantly associated with colon, lung (mainly in men), and bladder cancer. No relation was observed for cancer of the ovary, brain, and NHL. No consistent excess risk emerged for fish and poultry, which were inversely related to the risk of a number of cancer sites. These findings add further evidence that meat, specifically red and processed meat, plays an unfavorable role in the risk of several cancers. Fish and poultry appear to be favorable diet indicators.

Acknowledgments

The Canadian Cancer Registries Epidemiology Research Group comprises a principal investigator from each of the provincial cancer registries involved in the National Enhanced Cancer Surveillance System: Bertha Paulse, Newfoundland Cancer Foundation; Ron Dewar, Nova Scotia Cancer Registry; Dagny Dryer, Prince Edward Island Cancer Registry; Nancy Kreiger, Cancer Care Ontario; Heather Whittaker, Manitoba Cancer Treatment and Research Foundation; Diane Robson, Saskatchewan Cancer Foundation; Shirley Fincham, Division of Epidemiology, Prevention and Screening, Alberta Cancer Board; and Nhu Le, British Columbia Cancer Agency. C. La Vecchia and E. Negri were supported by the Italian Association for Cancer Research and the Italian League against cancer.

Notes

^a The household income was indicated as a categorical variable with following value: Low family income: < $20,000 with ≤ 3 people or $30,000 with ≥ 4 people; lower-middle family income: $20,000–$30,000 with ≤ 3 people or $30,000 to < $50,000 with ≥ 4 people; upper-middle family income: < $50,000 with ≤ 3 people or $50,000–$100,000 with ≥ 4 people; high family income: ≥ 50,000 for up to 3 people or ≥ 100,000 for ≥ 4 people.

^b Total vegetables: tomatoes, carrots, broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, brussel sprouts, spinach or other greens, yellow squash, green beans, corn, peas, or any other vegetable and soups with vegetables; total fruit: apples, pears, oranges, bananas, cantaloupe or other fruit, fresh or canned.

^a Total meat: beef, pork, lamb, hamburger, hotdogs, bacon, sausage, smoked meat or corned beef, luncheon meats, and liver. Red meat: beef, pork or lam as a main dish, beef and pork or lam as a mixed dish, and hamburger. Processed meat: hotdogs, lunch meat, smoked meat or corned beef, bacon, and sausage. Poultry: chicken or turkey. Total fish: fresh, frozen, or canned fish or smoked, salted, or dried fish. Fresh fish: fresh, frozen, or canned fish. Smoked fish: smoked, salted, or dried fish.

^a Abbreviations are as follows: NCESS, National Enhanced Cancer Surveillance System; ref., reference. Odds ratios adjusted for age group (20–49, 50–59, 60–69, 70–76), province (Newfoundland, Prince Edward Island, Nova Scotia, Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta, British Columbia), education, body mass index (< 25, 25–29.9, ≥ 30), sex, alcohol use (g/day), pack-year smoking, total of vegetable and fruit intake, and total energy intake (adjusted for strenuous and moderate activity for colon cancer and rectum cancer).

^b Food groups are the same as in Table 2.

^a Abbreviations are as follows: NECSS, National Enhanced Cancer Surveillance System; ref., reference. Odds ratios are adjusted for 10-yr age group (20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68, 69, 70, 71, 72, 73, 74, 75, 76), province (Newfoundland, Prince Edward Island, Nova Scotia, Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta, British Columbia), education, body mass index (< 25, 25–29.9, ≥ 30), alcohol use (g/day), pack-year smoking, total of vegetable and fruit intake, and total energy intake; also adjusted for number of live birth and years of menstruation for ovarian cancer, number of live births and age at first menstruation for premenopausal breast cancer, and number of live births and age at end of first pregnancy for postmenopausal breast cancer.

^b Food groups are the same as in Table 2.

^a Abbreviations are as follows: NECSS, National Enhanced Cancer Surveillance System; ref., reference. Odds ratios adjusted for 10-yr age group (20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68, 69, 70, 71, 72, 73, 74, 75, 76), province (Newfoundland, Prince Edward Island, Nova Scotia, Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta, British Columbia), education, body mass index (< 25, 25–29.9, ≥ 30), sex, alcohol use (g/day), pack-year smoking, total of vegetable and fruit intake, and total energy intake.

^b Food groups are the same as in Table 2.

^a Food groups are the same as in Table 2.

^b Never or < 1 per month.