High-Fat Diets May Increase Pancreatic Cancer Risks

High-Fat Diets May Increase Pancreatic Cancer Risks

By: Heather Hajek
Published: Tuesday, 30 June 2009

According to the American Cancer Society, there are 42,000 Americans who will be diagnosed with pancreatic cancer this year and 35,000 who will lose their lives to the deadly disease. Men and women who choose diets consisting of high quantities of meat and dairy products, such as cheese and steak, have greater risks of pancreatic cancer. Previous research has pointed to dietary fats as the link to increased risks of pancreatic cancer, but researchers had previously deemed the link inconclusive. With the newly released data, we see new evidence of the link.

The National Institute of Health (NIH) researchers evaluated 500,000 medical records of participants who enrolled in their National Institute of Health-AARP Diet and Health study. The researchers followed the participants to determine if they acquired a number of diseases including pancreatic cancer. Participants of the study completed a 124-item food questionnaire from 1995 to 1996 and were followed for an average of six years through health follow-ups. During the study, 1,337 participants developed pancreatic cancer.

Previous research has left mixed results as to the link between dietary fats and pancreatic cancer. However, with the new study released in the June 26 issue of the Journal of National Cancer Institute, we see where the researchers discovered a very strong link between fat intake and cancer, with the highest risk resulting from saturated fats from animal food sources. The higher rate of pancreatic cancer risks were found in men who consumed the highest rate of total fats, with a 53 percent higher risk, compared to men who ate less fatty diets. For the women involved in the study, there was a 23 percent higher risk rate if they consumed a diet higher in fat.

Dr. Rachel Stolzenbrug-Solomon, leader of the NIH-AARP Diet and Health study said, “We observed positive associations between pancreatic cancer and intakes of total, saturated, and monounsaturated fat overall, particularly from red meat and dairy food sources. We did not observe any consistent association with polyunsaturated or fat from plant food sources.” The study authors added, “Altogether, these results suggest a role for animal fat in pancreatic carcinogenesis.”

Pancreatic cancer, although still perceived in some ways as a mystery, ranks #4 in cancer-causing deaths within the U.S. annually. Several factors are linked to increased odds of developing the deadly disease, including smoking, diabetes, and obesity. An article accompanying the NIH study, co-authored by Dr. Brian M. Wolphin, an oncologist at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston, found that being overweight or obese in early adulthood also increases the odds of pancreatic cancer. In addition, those in middle age who are obese appear to have a poorer survival rate from the disease.

Eric J. Jacobs, strategic director of pharmacoepidemiology at the American Cancer Society said the study “provides important evidence that a diet high in animal fat may increase risk of one of the leading causes of cancer death.” He added, “While further confirmatory research about animal fat and pancreatic cancer is still needed, results of this study support the American Cancer Society’s recommendations to limit red meat and emphasize plant foods to help reduce risk of a variety of cancers.”
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