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May 10, 2010
New Study Links Well-Done Meats and Bladder Cancer
by Denene Brox
An article on BBC News reports there is yet another study linking diet with cancer. This one is a 12-year study and comes from researchers at the University of Texas where a research team analyzed the eating habits of more than 1,700 people to determine the relationship between prostate cancer and meat consumption. The study found that people who eat their meat well-done are more than twice as likely to develop bladder cancer than those who preferred rare meats.
Steak, pork chops, and bacon posed the highest risks when prepared well-done the research shows. And other meats such as chicken and fish had similar effects on the likelihood of bladder cancer if cooked to well-done. The well-done meats prepared by grilling, frying, and barbecuing and cooked until charred form cancer-causing chemicals to enter the body.
So what does this mean for you and how can you protect yourself?
The article notes: "The UK Food Standards Agency says people can reduce their risk from chemicals that may cause cancer by not allowing flames to touch food when barbecuing or grilling, and cooking at lower temperatures for a longer time."
Smoking and family history also increase a person's risk of developing bladder cancer. Answer the following questions. If you answer "yes" to any of the following items you may want to add a bladder cancer screening to your check-up regimen:
- Have you consumed the Aristolochia Fangchi herb used in weight-loss formulas?
- Is your diet high in saturated fats?
- Do you smoke or are you regularly exposed to second-hand smoke?
- Have you been treated with external beam radiation therapy?
- Do you have a family or personal history of bladder cancer?
- Have you ever been treated with a cancer drug such as cyclophosfamide?
- Have you ever been infected with Schistosoma Haematobium, common parasite in many developing countries?
To learn more about bladder cancer, symptoms, and treatments, visit our bladder cancer information page.
Source: BBC News
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