Processed Meat and Fish Increase Risk for Breast Cancer

Processed meats and fish increase risk for breast cancer, according to a study published in Cancer Causes & Control. Researchers followed more than 8,000 women from the Breast Cancer Health Disparities Study and monitored their intake of fish and red and processed meats and cancer incidence rates. Among Hispanic women, those with the highest intake of red and processed meat increased their risk for breast cancer by 42 percent, compared with those who ate the least. Non-Hispanic women with the highest intakes of tuna increased their risk by 25 percent, compared with those who ate the least amount of tuna. Chemical contaminants found in tuna and early exposure to red and processed meats may account for the increased cancer risk.