Meat and meat-related compounds and risk of prostate cancer in a large prospective cohort study in the United States
Open accessAbstract
The authors examined associations between meat consumption (type, cooking method, and related mutagens), heme iron, nitrite/nitrate, and prostate cancer in a cohort of 175,343 US men aged 50-71 years. During 9 years of follow-up (1995-2003), they ascertained 10,313 prostate cancer cases (1,102 advanced) and 419 fatal cases. Hazard ratios comparing the fifth intake quintile with the first revealed elevated risks associated with red and processed meat for total (red meat: hazard ratio (HR) = 1.12, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.04, 1.21; processed meat: HR = 1.07, 95% CI: 1.00, 1.14) and advanced (red meat: HR = 1.31, 95% CI: 1.05, 1.65; processed meat: HR = 1.32, 95% CI: 1.08, 1.61) prostate cancer. Heme iron, barbecued/grilled meat, and benzo[a]pyrene were all positively associated with total (HR = 1.09 (95% CI: 1.02, 1.17), HR = 1.11 (95% CI: 1.03, 1.19), and HR = 1.09 (95% CI: 1.00, 1.18), respectively) and advanced (HR = 1.28 (95% CI: 1.03, 1.58), HR = 1.36 (95% CI: 1.10, 1.69), and HR = 1.28 (95% CI: 1.00, 1.65), respectively) disease. Nitrite (HR = 1.24, 95% CI: 1.02, 1.51) and nitrate (HR = 1.31, 95% CI: 1.07, 1.61) intakes were associated with advanced prostate cancer. There were no clear associations for fatal prostate cancer. Red and processed meat may be positively associated with prostate cancer via mechanisms involving heme iron, nitrite/nitrate, grilling/barbecuing, and benzo[a]pyrene.
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Nitrites in combination with dietary amines or amides, such as in red and cured meats, have been linked to stomach and several other cancers.
“Indeed, nitrites in combination with dietary amines or amides, such as in red and cured meats, have been linked to stomach and several other cancers[155,157,160,163–166].”
From Enterosalivary nitrate metabolism and the microbiome: Intersection of microbial metabolism, nitric oxide and diet in cardiac and pulmonary vascular health (2017) · cites this paper as [165]
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- Authors
- Sinha, R., Park, Y., Graubard, B. I., Leitzmann, M. F., Hollenbeck, A., Schatzkin, A., & Cross, A. J.
- Affiliations
- National Cancer Institute (US)
- Corresponding author
- Sinha, R.
- Venue
- American Journal of Epidemiology
- Publisher
- Oxford University Press (OUP)
- Published
- 2009-10-06
- Volume
- 170
- Issue
- 9
- Pages
- 1165-1177
- ISSN
- 0002-9262 (ISSN-L)
- 1476-6256
- PMC
- PMC2781742
- OpenAlex
- W2098858441
- Cited by
- 181
- References
- 60
- Citations by year
- 2026: 4 · 2025: 8 · 2024: 13 · 2023: 8 · 2022: 7 · 2021: 11 · 2020: 5 · 2019: 10 · 2018: 11 · 2017: 12 · 2016: 11 · 2015: 13 · 2014: 11 · 2013: 11 · 2012: 16
- FWCI
- 15.39
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- bronze
- doi.org
- Locations
- American Journal of Epidemiology (publishedVersion)
- PubMed Central (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- University of Regensburg Publication Server (University of Regensburg) (submittedVersion)
- Funders
- Universität Regensburg
- Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health › Nutritional Studies and Diet
- Life Sciences › Agricultural and Biological Sciences › Animal Science and Zoology › Meat and Animal Product Quality
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Oncology › Cancer Risks and Factors
- Keywords
- prostate cancer, red meat, processed meat, heme iron, nitrite, nitrate, benzo[a]pyrene, cooking methods, food mutagens, advanced prostate cancer, fatal prostate cancer, cancer risk factors, men's health
- MeSH terms
- Aged, Benzo(a)pyrene, Cooking, Heme, Humans, Male, Meat, Middle Aged, Nitrates, Nitrites, Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons, Prospective Studies, Prostatic Neoplasms, United States
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