Processed meat may up pancreatic cancer

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STOCKHOLM, Sweden, Jan. 19 (UPI) -- Eating too much processed meat -- such as bacon, hot dogs or ham -- may increase the risk of pancreatic cancer, researchers in Sweden found.

Susanna Larsson, an associate professor at the Karolinska Institute, and colleagues analyzed the results of 11 studies involving more than 6,000 people with pancreatic cancer.

The study, published in the British Journal of Cancer, found that for each serving of processed meat eaten daily -- equivalent to a sausage or two strips of bacon -- there was a 19 percent increase in the risk of pancreatic cancer, as compared to eating no processed meat.

The study found there was a 29 percent increase in pancreatic cancer risk for men who ate 4 ounces of red meat per day compared to those who ate no meat.

"Pancreatic cancer has poor survival rates," Larsson said in a statement. "So as well as diagnosing it early, it's important to understand what can increase the risk of this disease."