title: Meat consumption and breast cancer: a case-control study in women.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The relationship between meat intake and breast cancer has been inconsistent .
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this work was to evaluate the association between meat intake and breast cancer, in women.
  
  
  METHODS
  A case-control study with 250 consecutive, newly diagnosed breast-cancer-female-patients (56 ± 12 years) and 250, one-to-one age-matched controls was conducted. A standardized, validated questionnaire assessing various socio-demographic, clinical, lifestyle and dietary characteristics was applied through face-to-face interviews. Data on consumption of red, white, processed and grilled meat were also recorded. Overall dietary habits were assessed through the level of adherence to the Mediterranean diet using the MedDietScore (theoretical range 0-55).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Processed meat intake, even for 1-2 times/week,was associated with a 2.7-fold (OR= 2.65, 95% CI 1.36, 5.14) (p= 0.004) higher likelihood of having breast cancer, while daily intake increased the likelihood by a 2.8-fold (OR = 2.81, 95% CI 1.13, 6.96) (p = 0.026), after various adjustments made. Red, white and grilled meat intake was not significantly associated with the outcome when the same adjustments were made.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study suggested that only daily processed-meat intake was consistently associated with increased odds of breast-cancer.
authors.forename: Niki
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Mourouti
authors.forename: Meropi D
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Kontogianni
authors.forename: Christos
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Papavagelis
authors.forename: Petrini
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Plytzanopoulou
authors.forename: Tonia
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Vassilakou
authors.forename: Theodora
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Psaltopoulou
authors.forename: Nikolaos
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Malamos
authors.forename: Athena
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Linos
authors.forename: Demosthenes B
authors.initials: DB
authors.lastname: Panagiotakos
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000209:etiology*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D004032:Diet / Q000009:adverse effects*; D005247:Feeding Behavior; D005260:Female; D005511:Food Handling; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D008019:Life Style; D008460:Meat / Q000009:adverse effects*; D008875:Middle Aged; D012307:Risk Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires