Processed meat intake and gastric adenocarcinoma risk among adults in Central-West Brazil: a case-control study

Processed meat is classified as a Group 1 carcinogen; however, evidence from Latin America-particularly Brazil-regarding its role in gastric adenocarcinoma (GA) remains limited. We examined the association between processed meat intake of GA among adults in Brazil's Central-West region.

This case-control study included 553 participants (166 cases, 189 endoscopic controls, and 198 hospital controls). Processed meat intake was assessed using a validated food frequency questionnaire. Associations were estimated using logistic regression models, calculating odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CI) for each 10 g/day increment in processed meat consumption. Adjusted predicted probabilities were estimated using post-estimation marginal effects to evaluate dose-response patterns across an intake range of 0-40 g/day.

Higher processed meat intake was associated with an increased risk of GA in both comparisons, with an OR of 1.53 (95% CI: 1.09-2.15) using endoscopic controls and an OR of 1.28 (95% CI: 1.02-1.61) using hospital controls. Predictive margins showed an approximately linear dose-response pattern.

These findings provide evidence from an understudied Brazilian region and suggest processed meat intake as a potentially modifiable risk factor for GA.