Ultra-processed food consumption may raise risk of lung cancer: study

A recent study suggests that consuming large amounts of ultra-processed food may significantly increase the risk of developing lung cancer.

According to researchers, patients with the highest intake of ultra-processed food had a 37% higher risk of developing non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and a 44% higher risk of developing small cell lung cancer (SCLC) compared to those with the lowest intake.

The study analysed data from the Prostate, Lung, Colorectal, and Ovarian (PLCO) Cancer Screening Trial, a large randomised trial evaluating screening tests for various cancers. 

The analysis included 101,732 patients, 51,545 women and 50,187 men, with a mean age of 62.5 years at the beginning of the study.

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Participants had a mean energy-adjusted ultra-processed food consumption of 2.8 servings per day and were followed over a mean period of 12.2 years.

During this time, 1,706 new lung cancer cases were identified, of which 1,473 (86.3%) were NSCLC and 233 (13.7%) were SCLC.

Researchers categorised participants into quartiles based on their consumption of ultra-processed foods.

Items considered ultra-processed included sour cream, ice cream, fried foods, bread, cookies, cakes, salty snacks, breakfast cereals, instant noodles and soups, sauces, margarine, candy, soft drinks, artificially sweetened fruit drinks, restaurant or industrial hamburgers, hot dogs, and pizza.

A multivariable analysis revealed that patients in the highest quartile of ultra-processed food intake had a 41% higher risk of developing lung cancer compared to those in the lowest quartile.

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“In this population-based study, high consumption of UPF [ultra-processed foods] is associated with increased risks of lung cancer, NSCLC, and SCLC, independent of multiple potential confounders,” the researchers wrote. 

“These findings need to be confirmed by other large-scale longitudinal studies in different populations and settings. Future studies should elucidate potential molecular mechanisms and increase understanding of the observed associations,” the researcher added.