Meat consumption and risk of lung cancer; a case-control study from Uruguay

A case-control study was conducted at the Instituto Nacional de Oncologia, Uruguay, in order to investigate the relationship between meat consumption and lung cancer risk. The study included 256 cases of lung cancer and 284 controls, frequency matched with the cases on age, residence and urban/rural condition. A significant increase in risk of lung cancer associated with red meat, beef and fried meat was observed. The increase in risk was more evident in squamous cell lung cancer. This association remained after controlling for total energy and saturated fat intake, suggesting a possible role of heterocyclic amines in lung carcinogenesis.