Saturated Fat Linked to Small Intestine Cancer

PHILADELPHIA — Findings published in the journal Cancer Research, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research, identify dietary intake of saturated fats as a possible risk factor for cancer of the small intestine, advancing the understanding of cancer development in this and other areas of the digestive tract.

While relatively rare, rates of small intestine cancer have been on the rise since the 1970s. Individuals with this cancer are at increased risk of developing a second primary malignancy, particularly colorectal cancer.

Diets high in red and processed meats are associated with cancer of the large intestine; however, this is the first prospective study to examine meat and fat intake in relation to cancer of the small intestine.

Researchers from the National Cancer Institute used food frequency questionnaires to track food intake in 500,000 men and women enrolled in the NIH-AARP Diet and Health study over an 8-year period. Through state cancer registries and national death indexes researchers noted the development of 60 adenocarcinomas and 80 carcinoid tumors of the small intestine.

While findings showed no clear connection between red and processed meat and these tumors, they suggested a noticeably elevated risk for carcinoid tumors in the small intestine in association with saturated fat intake.