Investigating the dietary links to pancreatic cancer: A case–control study on dairy, meat, and egg consumption

Research has demonstrated that the intake of specific foods and nutrients is linked to the risk of pancreatic cancer, but the role of meat and dairy consumption in pancreatic carcinogenesis remains controversial. The main objective of this study is to investigate the association between the intake of dairy products and meats and the risk of pancreatic cancer. A case–control study was conducted between March 2015 and August 2018 at four main hospitals in Jordan; one of the hospitals was an oncology center. Participants in the study included 101 histologically confirmed pancreatic cancer patients, which were frequency-matched with 314 controls. The required information for this study was gathered through questionnaires based on face-to-face interviews. An Arabic food-frequency questionnaire that has been validated was used to collect data on the intake of different food items from dairy and meat groups. Multinomial logistic regression was employed to determine odds ratios (ORs) and their corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CIs), considering potential confounders. The consumption of different levels and frequencies of yogurt, white cheese, processed cheese, red meats, and chicken was observed to increase the risk of pancreatic cancer. The adjusted OR indicated that the risk of pancreatic cancer was positively related to a daily intake of yogurt (OR: 2.88 [95%CI: 1.40 – 5.91; p = 0.001]), cooked lamb meat (OR: 2.50 [95%CI: 1.30 – 4.84; p = 0.002]), and cooked veal meat (OR: 1.72 [95%CI: 1.11 – 3.77; p = 0.011]). Furthermore, daily and weekly consumption of white cheese, processed cheese, and cooked chicken may be associated with an increased risk of pancreatic cancer. According to the study’s findings, the consumption of yogurt, white cheese, processed cheese, red meat, and chicken was linked to a higher risk of developing pancreatic cancer.

- Zanini S, Renzi S, Limongi AR, Bellavite P, Giovinazzo F, Bermano G. A review of lifestyle and environment risk factors for pancreatic cancer. Eur J Cancer. 2021;145:53-70. doi: 10.1016/j.ejca.2020.11.040.
- Salem AA, Mackenzie GG. Pancreatic cancer: A critical review of dietary risk. Nutr Res. 2018;52:1-3. doi: 10.1016/j.nutres.2017.12.001
- Qin X, Chen J, Jia G, Yang Z. Dietary factors and pancreatic cancer risk: An umbrella review of meta-analyses of prospective observational studies. Adv Nutr. 2023;14(3):451-464. doi: 10.1016/j.advnut.2023.02.004
- Gianfredi V, Ferrara P, Dinu M, Nardi M, Nucci D. Dietary patterns, single foods and pancreatic cancer risk: An umbrella review of meta-analyses. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2022;19(22):14787. doi: 10.3390/ijerph192214787
- International Agency for Research on Cancer, World Health Organization. Global Cancer Observatory Cancer Tomorrow. 1965-2023. Available from: https://gco.iarc.fr/tomorrow/en [Last accessed on 2024 Sep 20].
- Nassereldine H, Awada H, Ali AH, Zeineddine M, Sater ZA, Shaib Y. Pancreatic cancer in the MENA region, a bibliometric review. Ecancermedicalscience. 2022;16:380. doi: 10.3332/ecancer.2022.1380
- Sung H, Ferlay J, Siegel RL, et al. Global cancer statistics 2020: GLOBOCAN estimates of incidence and mortality worldwide for 36 cancers in 185 countries. CA Cancer J Clin. 2021;71(3):209-249. doi: 10.3322/caac.21660
- Siegel RL, Miller KD, Jemal A. Cancer statistics, 2018. CA Cancer J Clin. 2018;68(1):7-30. doi: 10.3322/caac.21442
- Zheng J, Guinter MA, Merchant AT, et al. Dietary patterns and risk of pancreatic cancer: A systematic review. Nutr Rev. 2017;75(11):883-908. doi: 10.1093/nutrit/nux038
- World Cancer Research Fund International. Pancreatic Cancer: What Causes Pancreatic Cancer?; 2022. Available from: https://www.wcrf.org/diet-activity-and-cancer/ cancer-types/pancreatic-cancer [Last accessed on 2024 Sep 20].
- Zhao Z, Yin Z, Pu Z, Zhao Q. Association between consumption of red and processed meat and pancreatic cancer risk: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Clin Gastroenterol Hepatol. 2017;15(4):486-493. doi: 10.1016/j.cgh.2016.09.143
- Huang Y, Cao D, Chen Z, et al. Red and processed meat consumption and cancer outcomes: Umbrella review. Food Chem. 2021;356:129697. doi: 10.1016/j.foodchem.2021.129697
- Zhang T, Wu S, Xu F, et al. The association between dietary protein intake and the risk of pancreatic cancer: Evidence from 14 publications. Nutr Cancer. 2022;74(9):3172-3178. doi: 10.1080/01635581.2022.2059529
- Gao Y, Ma Y, Yu M, et al. Poultry and fish intake and pancreatic cancer risk: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Nutr Cancer. 2021;74(1):55-67. doi: 10.1080/01635581.2020.1869276
- Arafa A, Eshak ES, Dong JY, et al. Dairy intake and the risk of pancreatic tancer: The Japan collaborative cohort study (JACC Study) and meta-analysis of prospective cohort studies. Br J Nutr. 2022;128(6):1147-1155. doi: 10.1017/S0007114521004232
- Ghamarzad N, Masoudi S, Mohamadkhani A, et al. Dietary intake of fatty acids and risk of pancreatic cancer: Golestan cohort study. Nutr J. 2021;20:69. doi: 10.1186/s12937-021-00723-3
- Chan JM, Wang F, Holly EA. Pancreatic cancer, animal protein and dietary fat in a population-based study, San Francisco Bay Area, California. Cancer Causes Control. 2007;18(10):1153-1167. doi: 10.1007/s10552-007-9054-0
- Darooghegi MM, Naghshi S, Lotfi K, et al. Egg and dietary cholesterol intake and risk of all-cause, cardiovascular, and cancer mortality: A systematic review and dose-response meta-analysis of prospective cohort studies. Front Nutr. 2022;9:977. doi: 10.3389/fnut.2022.878979
- Wang F, Holly EA. Pancreatic cancer and intake of meat, fish, eggs and fats. Cancer Res. 2005;65(9 Suppl):1369. doi: 10.1093/jnci/dji292
- Chan JM, Gong Z, Holly EA, Bracci PM. Dietary patterns and risk of pancreatic cancer in a large population-based case-control study in the San Francisco Bay Area. Nutr Cancer. 2013;65(1):157-164. doi: 10.1080/01635581.2012.725502
- Lee R, Nieman D. Nutritional Assessment. 6th ed. New York, NY, USA: McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.; 2013. p. 176.
- Sallis JF, Haskell WL, Wood PD, et al. Physical activity assessment methodology in the five-city project. Am J Epidemiol. 1985;121:91-106. doi: 10.1093/oxfordjournals.aje.a113987
- Washburn RA, Jacobsen DJ, Sonko BJ, Hill JO, Donnelly JE. The validity of the stanford seven-day physical activity recall in young adults. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2003;35(8):1374-1380. doi: 10.1249/01.MSS.0000079081.08476.EA
- Tayyem RF, Abu-Mweis SS, Bawadi HA, Agraib L, Bani- Hani K. Validation of a food frequency questionnaire to assess macronutrient and micronutrient intake among Jordanians. J Acad Nutr Diet. 2014;114(7):1046-1052. doi: 10.1016/j.jand.2013.08.019
- Al-Awwad, N, Allehdan, S, Al-Jaberi, T, et al. Dietary and lifestyle factors associated with gastric and pancreatic cancers: A case-control study. Prev Nutr Food Sci. 2021;26(1):30-39. doi: 10.3746/pnf.2021.26.1.30
- Genkinger JM, Wang M, Li R, et al. Dairy products and pancreatic cancer risk: A pooled analysis of 14 cohort studies. Ann Oncol. 2014;25(6):1106-1115. doi: 10.1093/annonc/mdu019
- Oncina-Cánovas A, Torres-Collado L, García-de-la-Hera M, et al. Association between dairy products consumption and esophageal, stomach, and pancreatic cancers in the PANESOES multi case-control study. Cancers (Basel). 2024;16:4151. doi: 10.3390/cancers16244151
- Zhang K, Dai H, Liang W, Deng Z. Fermented dairy foods intake and risk of cancer. Int J Cancer. 2019;144(9):2099-2108. doi: 10.1002/ijc.31959
- Haddadin JSY. Kinetic studies and sensorial analysis of lactic acid bacteri isolated from white cheese made from sheep raw milk. PJN. 2005;4(2):78-84.
- Haddad MA, Al-Qudah MM, Abu-Romman SM, et al. Development of traditional jordanian low sodium dairy products. J Agric Sci. 2017;9(1):223-230.
- Oliveira RBA, Margalho LP, Nascimen JS, et al. Processed scontamination by spore-forming bacteria: A review of sources, routes, fate during processing and control. Trends Food Sci Technol. 2016;57:11-19.
- Thiébaut ACM, Jiao L, Silverman DT, et al. Dietary fatty acids and pancreatic cancer in the NIH-AARP diet and health study. J Natl Cancer Inst. 2009;101(14):1001-1011. doi: 10.1093/jnci/djp168
- Azeem K, Horáková D, Tomaskova H, et al. Evaluation of dietary habits in the study of pancreatic cancer. Klin Onkol. 2016;29(3):196-203. doi: 10.14735/amko2016196
- Taunk P, Hecht E, Stolzenberg-Solomon R. Are meat and heme iron intake associated with pancreatic cancer? Results from the NIH-AARP diet and health cohort. Int J Cancer. 2016;138(9):2172-2189. doi: 10.1002/ijc.29964
- Polesel J, Talamini R, Negri E, et al. Dietary habits and risk of pancreatic cancer: An Italian case- control study. Cancer Causes Control. 2010;21(4):493-500. doi: 10.1007/s10552-009-9480-2
- Petrick JL, Castro-Webb N, Gerlovin H, et al. A prospective analysis of intake of red and processed meat in relation to pancreatic cancer among African American Women. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev. 2020;29(9):1775-1783. doi: 10.1158/1055-9965.EPI-20-0048
- Sun Y, He X, Sun Y. Red and processed meat and pancreatic cancer risk: A meta-analysis. Front Nutr. 2023;10:1249407. doi: 10.3389/fnut.2023.1249407
- Kim Y. The association between red, processed and white meat consumption and risk of pancreatic cancer: A meta-analysis of prospective cohort studies. Cancer Causes Control. 2023;34:569-581. doi: 10.1007/s10552-023-01698-8
- Huang BZ, Wang S, Bogumil D, et al. Red meat consumption, cooking mutagens, NAT1/2 genotypes and pancreatic cancer risk in two ethnically diverse prospective cohorts. Int J Cancer. 2021;149: 811-819. doi: 10.1002/ijc.33598
- Paluszkiewicz P, Smolińska K, Dębińska I, Turski WA. Main dietary compounds and pancreatic cancer risk. The quantitative analysis of case-control and cohort studies. Cancer Epidemiol. 2012;36(1):60-67. doi: 10.1016/j.canep.2011.05.004
- Larsson SC, Wolk A. Red and processed meat consumption and risk of pancreatic cancer: Meta-analysis of prospective studies. Br J Cancer. 2012;106(3):603-607. doi: 10.1038/bjc.2011.585
- Rohrmann S, Linseisen J, Nöthlings U, et al. Meat and fish consumption and risk of pancreatic cancer: Results from the European prospective investigation into cancer and nutrition. Int J Cancer. 2013;132(3):617-624. doi: 10.1002/ijc.27637
- Larsson SC, Håkanson N, Permert J, Wolk A. Meat, fish, poultry and egg consumption in relation to risk of pancreatic cancer: A prospective study. Int J Cancer. 2006;118(11):2866-2870. doi: 10.1002/ijc.21732
- Jiang W, Wang M, Jiang HZ, Chen GC, Hua YF. Meta-analysis of fish consumption and risk of pancreatic cancer in 13 prospective studies with 1.8 million participants. PLoS One. 2019;14(9):e0222139. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0222139
- Tenny S, Kerndt CC, Hoffman MR. Case control studies. In: StatPearls. Treasure Island, FL: StatPearls Publishing; 2023.