Well-done meat does not raise breast cancer risk

Contradictory to some previous stduies, a new study suggests that intake of meat-derived heterocyclic amines (HCA) may increase risk of breast cancer.

The study in the May 2010 issue of Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention found women who had highest intake of HCAs or meat-derived mutagens (MDM) were at a similar risk for breast cancer as those who had lowest intake.

For the study, Wu K and coleagues from Harvard School of Public Health and Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston analysed data on cooking methods and incidence of breast cancer among women who participated in the Nurses' Health Study.

The researchers found HCA or MDM was not associated with estrogen receptor-positive/prosterone receptor-positive breast cancer risk. 

In fact, high intakes of MeIQx (2-amino-3,8-dimethylimidazo[4,5-f]quinoxaline), PhIP (2-amino-1-methyl-6-phenylimidazo[4,5-b]pyridine), DiMeIQx (2-amino-3,4,8-trimethylimidazo[4,5-f]) were associated with slightly decreased risk of estrogen receptor-negative/progesterone receptor-negative breast cancer.

The association was not significant, according to the researchers.

In conclusion, Wu et al wrote "Higher consumption of mutagens from meats cooked at higher temperature and longer duration was not associated with increased risk of postmenopausal breast cancer."

This is an observational study and has no final say about the risk of meat-derived mutagens/carcinogens.  Meat-derived heterocyclic amines are recognized as carcinogens by the National Toxicology Program.

One study published in 2009 in Nutrition and Cancer suggests eating too much meat particularly red and processed meat may increase risk of breast cancer.

The study led by Zheng W and Lee S.A. from Vanderbilt University School of Medicine showed that high intake of meat was associated with increased risk of breast cancer among other things.

But it is not clear that the increased risk is due to heterocyclic amines or meat itself.

Another case-control study by Agurs-Collins T and colleagues from the National Cancer Institute and published in the Sept 2009 issue of American Journal of Clinical Nutrition also suggests that Western diet made of refined grains, processed meat, and sweets increases risk of breast cancer in black women.

Breast cancer is diagnosed in 170,000 women each year in the United States and the disease kills about 50,000 annually in the country.