Linking Processed and Red Meat Consumption to Specific Lung Cancer Subtypes: A Mendelian Randomization Analysis

The aim of this study was to elucidate the causal relationship between the consumption of processed and red meats (specifically pork, beef, and mutton) and susceptibility to various lung cancer types.

Previous observational studies have indicated a potential cancer risk associated with red and processed meat consumption. However, a clear causal relationship remains undetermined.

Refining the study of the association between processed and red meat and lung cancer using a Mendelian randomization study.

We harnessed the robustness of Two-Sample Mendelian Randomization, integrating data from the esteemed UK Biobank, capturing dietary habits with oncological datasets from the Transdisciplinary Research In Cancer of the Lung. The analytical approach was anchored in the inverse variance weighted (IVW) method, enriched by sensitivity analyses for result validation.

Genetic predispositions favoring processed meat consumption are linked to heightened risks of lung cancer [IVW analysis, OR=1.8203, 95%CI [1.1115,2.9811], p=0.0173], and in LUSC [IVW analysis, OR=2.9274, 95%CI [1.4810,5.7863], p=0.0020]. Beef was more important in lung cancer [IVW analysis, OR=4.6739, 95% CI [2.4947, 8.7570], p=0.000001], in LUSC [IVW analysis, OR=3.3251, 95%CI [1.2055,9.1717], p=0.0203] and in LUAD [IVW analysis, OR=7.1480, 95%CI [3.0074,16.9893], p=0.000008]. However, no significant links were identified between mutton or pork intake and lung cancer.

Processed meat and beef consumption may elevate lung cancer risk. Additional research is warranted to investigate potential links between mutton or pork consumption and the risk of lung cancer.