Exponent epidemiologists and scientists conducted an independent large scale examination of the epidemiologic literature pertaining to meat consumption (i.e., total meat, red meat, processed meat) and factors related to meat consumption (i.e., animal fat and protein, cooking methods, dietary patterns, dietary mutagens, genetic interactions) and cancers of the colorectum, breast, prostate, pancreas, kidney, and stomach.
The objectives of the evaluation were to: 1) conduct a Medline literature search to identify epidemiologic studies on meat consumption and cancer; 2) synthesize the results of the relevant individual studies; 3) examine the evidence for/against causality using established guidelines for observational research; and 4) provide an unbiased critical interpretation and evaluation of the epidemiologic literature on meat and cancer. Although a few patterns of positive associations were identified across the literature, collectively, we found no conclusive evidence of a causal relation between any of the meat consumption measures and the types of cancer that were reviewed.