Study: Red meat linked to colon cancer in women

The cancer was found on the descending section of the colon, where feces is stored.

Dr. Diego Rada Fernandez de Jauregui, a researcher in the Nutritional Epidemiology Group at University of Leeds and the University of the Basque Country in Spain, said, “The impact of different types of red meat and dietary patterns on cancer locations is one of the biggest challenges in the study of diet and colorectal cancer.

“Our research is one of the few studies looking at this relationship and while further analysis in a larger study is needed, it could provide valuable information for those with family history of colorectal cancer and those working on prevention.”

Among women, colorectal cancer is the third-leading cause of cancer-related deaths and the third most common cancer behind breast cancer and lung cancer, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In 2014, 24,517 women died from the disease and there were 66,596 diagnosed.

The new study used data from the United Kingdom Women’s Cohort Study, which included 32,147 women from England, Wales and Scotland.

The World Cancer Research fund recruited them between 1995 and 1998, and tracked them for an average of 17 years. The median age of participants was 52 at the beginning of the study.

A total of 462 colorectal cases were found, including 335 colon cancers — 172 were proximal and 119 were distal — and 152 rectal cancers.

Among those studied, 65 percent were classified as red meat eaters, three percent were poultry eaters, 13 percent were fish eaters and 19 percent were vegetarians.

In the study, poultry eaters, fish eaters and vegetarian groups generally were younger, had a lower body mass index and were more physically active compared to red meat eaters. Vegetarians showed the highest risk reduction compared to red meat eaters.

The researchers noted additional foods in the diet other than red meat may help decrease the risk of colorectal cancer, including milk and whole grains.