QIMR LogoDid you know that meat, fish and ovarian cancer seem to share a connection? Dr. Penny Webb from Queensland Institute of Medical Research (QIMR) claims that met, fish and ovarian cancer apparently encompass a link.

The study merged new outcomes from two Australian studies including gathering data from more than 4,000 women with the results from other studies performed worldwide. Dr Webb mentioned study authors are still uncertain as to how diet seemingly affects cancer risk.

“Our research suggests that women who eat processed meat several times a week have about a 20% higher risk of developing ovarian cancer than women who eat processed meat less than once a week,” commented, Dr Webb, who heads the Gynaecological Cancer Group at QIMR.

“There are many theories, but there is no evidence yet. Processed meat contains compounds that could damage cells and thereby cause cancer. On the other hand, the omega-3 fatty acids found in fish are thought to be good for health in many ways and may possess anti-cancer properties” Dr. Webb added.

Dr Webb emphasized that this may not denote that women ought to instantly halt consuming processed meat.

Dr. Webb remarked, “Our results are further evidence that women should aim for a healthy diet with less processed meat and higher levels of poultry and fish. It is important to note that ovarian cancer is a relatively rare disease. This means that, in Australia, the risk of developing ovarian cancer before the age of 75 for a woman who eats a lot of processed meat is about 1% compared to about 0.8% for those who eat little processed meat.”

Dr. Webb mentioned that this study helps to improve their understanding of this silent, yet deadly disease. Ultimately, they hope to be able to reduce the number of women who are affected through better diagnostics and prevention strategies.

The results of the study were published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.