Red meat diet could increase cancer risk

Fri, 10 Aug 2012

People who consume a diet high in red meat could be at an increased risk of cancer, new research has suggested.

Based at the University of Birmingham and the Beatson Institute for Cancer Research in Glasgow, Cancer Research UK scientists discovered high levels of iron in the food might contribute to the likelihood of a person suffering from bowel cancer in later life.

According to the investigators, iron could switch on a key pathway in individuals with faults in a critical anti-cancer gene.

Published in the journal Cell Reports, the findings suggested those with a faulty APC gene who are fed high amounts of the nutrient are two to three times more likely to develop the disease than those with a fully-functioning APC gene.

Professor Owen Sansom, deputy director of the Cancer Research UK Beatson Institute for Cancer Research in Glasgow, explained the team has made huge progress in developing a better understanding of bowel cancer and how it develops.

He stated: "The APC gene is faulty in around eight out of ten bowel cancers, but until now we haven't known how this causes the disease."
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