Processed Meat Intake and Bladder Cancer Risk in the Prostate, Lung, Colorectal, and Ovarian (PLCO) Cohort

The association between processed meat intake and bladder cancer risk has been evaluated by several observational studies with inconsistent results.

In a cohort of 101,721 subjects in the Prostate, Lung, Colorectal, and Ovarian (PLCO) Cancer Screening Trial, we analyzed the association of processed meat intake with bladder cancer risk.

After a median of 12.5 years of follow-up, 776 new cases of bladder cancer were identified. Intake of processed red meat was significantly associated with the incidence of bladder cancer after multivariate adjustment [highest vs. lowest quintile: HR, 1.47; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.12-1.93; P _trend = 0.008]. In contrast, there was only a suggestive but not significant association between intake of total processed meat and bladder cancer risk after multivariable adjustment (highest vs. lowest quintile: HR, 1.16; 95% CI, 0.89-1.50; P _trend = 0.073).

This large prospective study suggests that intake of processed red meat is associated with a higher risk of bladder cancer.

Bladder cancer risk is increased with cumulative intake of processed red meat.