
Vegetarian Diet Linked to Lower Risk for Five Cancers, but Higher Esophageal Cancer Risk
A large international study of about 1.8 million people followed for ~16 years finds vegetarians have 21% lower pancreatic cancer risk, 12% lower prostate cancer risk, 9% lower breast cancer risk, 28% lower kidney cancer risk and 31% lower multiple myeloma risk versus meat eaters, but nearly double the risk of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma; vegans have 40% higher bowel cancer risk, and pescatarians/poultry eaters show some protective effects for certain cancers. Published in the British Journal of Cancer and funded by the World Cancer Research Fund, the study suggests diet-related factors influence cancer risk but the picture is complex and requires further research.









