The World Health Organization is warning that processed meats cause colon cancer and red meat may do so as well, but UMass Medical School colorectal expert Karim Alavi, MD, believes moderation is key, cautioning his patients to limit but not forgo those foods.
“While I think the intention is correct and that there is a link, I think it’s difficult to definitively create a causal link between red meats and colorectal cancer,” said Dr. Alavi, assistant professor of surgery and a colorectal surgeon at UMass Memorial Medical Center.
Alavi said larger, randomized cohort studies are needed to prove a direct association.
“I think there is a lot to be studied and further investigations are needed,” he said, adding that most of the studies he has reviewed are based on retrospective surveys with bias that can impact the outcome.
A group of 22 WHO experts considered more than 800 studies that investigated associations of more than a dozen types of cancer with the consumption of red meat (such as beef, veal, pork and lamb) or processed meat (such as hot dogs, ham, sausages and corned beef). The International Agency for Research on Cancer concluded that each 50-gram portion of processed meat eaten daily increases the risk of colorectal cancer by 18 percent.
“For an individual, the risk of developing colorectal cancer because of their consumption of processed meat remains small, but this risk increases with the amount of meat consumed,” said Kurt Straif, MD, head of the IARC Monographs Programme.
Alavi said he would recommend individuals make some level of modification to their diets, but not exclude red meat, which could lead to certain vitamin deficiencies.
“It’s more important to have a well-balanced meal than one that completely excludes all meats from the diet,” Alavi said.
