Eating barbecue, Suya, Kilishi, others cause kidney cancer

~TheGuardian, Nigeria. 

Increased meat consumption, especially when cooked at high temperatures, linked to elevated risk

Can eating Suya, Kilishi, barbecue or other meat products cooked at high temperatures cause kidney cancer? Yes! A new study published online yesterday in the journal CANCER found that diets high in meat might lead to an increased risk of developing renal cell carcinoma (RCC) through intake of carcinogenic compounds created by certain cooking techniques, such as barbecuing and pan-frying.

The researchers from The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, United States, also discovered that individuals with specific genetic mutations are more susceptible to the harmful compounds created when cooking at high temperatures.

According to Wikipedia, Suya, is a spicy shish kebab like skewered meat which is a popular food item in various parts of Nigeria and is enjoyed as a delicacy in West Africa... Suya is generally made with skewered beef, ram, or chicken. Innards such as kidney, liver and tripe are also used. The thinly sliced meat is marinated in various spices, which include peanut cake, salt, vegetable oil and other flavorings, and then barbecued... A dried version of Suya is called Kilishi.

Barbecue is both a cooking method and an apparatus. The generally accepted differences between barbecuing and grilling are the cooking times and the types of heat used. Grilling is generally done quickly over moderate-to-high direct heat with little smoke, while barbecuing is done slowly over low indirect heat and the food is flavoured by the smoking process.

Renal cell carcinoma (RCC) is the most common form of kidney cancer.

According to a study published in African Journal of Urologyand titled "Adult renal cell carcinoma in Lagos: Experience and challenges at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital,"RCC, regarded as the most lethal of all urological tumours, is relatively uncommon. Recent reports from developed countries indicate a rising incidence, most likely from the increasing availability of imaging services leading to an increase in incidental diagnosis of early stage tumours, with consequently better prognosis. However, literature on RCC in sub-Saharan Africa is relatively sparse.

The researchers noted: "In conclusion, patients with RCC in our environment are more likely to be females, tend to present at an earlier age, but with late stage disease and a subsequently poor prognosis...."

According to the American Cancer Society, the incidence of RCC has been rising for several decades, and many suggest that a Western diet is partially, to blame.

One of the proposed culprits of a Western diet is higher-than-average meat consumption, which has been linked to increased cancer risk. However, postdoctoral fellow, Epidemiology and lead author of the study,Dr. Stephanie Melkonian, said it has not always been clear why eating more meat elevates cancer risk.

According to the researchers, a possible mechanism could be ingestion of meat-cooking mutagens, harmful compounds created when the meat is cooked in certain way. Cooking meat at high temperatures or over an open flame, such as when barbecuing or pan-frying, is known to result in the formation of carcinogens, including 2-amino-1-methyl-6-phenyl-imidazo(4,5-b) pyridine (PhIP) and amino-3,8-dimethylimidazo(4,5-f) quinoxaline (MeIQx).

The kidney is a biochemically active organ responsible for filtering many harmful toxins from the body, and therefore it make sense to investigate the effects of dietary intake, including carcinogens, on kidney cancer risk, said Melkonian.

To better characterize factors contributing to kidney cancer risk, the researchers surveyed the eating patterns and collected genetic information from 659 MD Anderson patients newly diagnosed with RCC and 699 healthy subjects recruited from the community. Based on survey responses, the researchers estimated meat consumption and exposure to meat-cooking mutagens with the help of a National Cancer Institute database.

Professor, Epidemiology and senior author of the study,Dr. Xifeng Wu, said: "We found elevated RCC risk associated with both meat intake and meat-cooking mutagens, suggesting independent effect of meat-cooking mutagens on RCC risk."

Specifically, the results show that kidney cancer patients consumed more red and white meat compared to healthy individuals. Additionally, the researchers identified a 54 percent increased risk associated with PhIP intake and a nearly twofold increase associated with MeIQx intake. This is the first study to identify an association between kidney cancer risk and dietary MeIQx.

Wu explained: "The results suggest that cooking method is an important factor contributing to the elevated RCC risk associated with consuming more meat, as both red and white meat resulted in increased risk."

This study was also the first to investigate connections between genetic risk factors and intake of meat-cooking mutagens for RCC. Melkonian said: "By analyzing genes known to be associated with RCC risk, we found that high intake of these carcinogens may be particularly meaningful for a certain subgroup of the population."

Individuals with variations in the gene, ITPR2, were more vulnerable to the effects of consuming PhIP. As this gene has previously been associated with kidney cancer and obesity risk, the results suggest this association may be partially explained by exposure to meat-cooking mutagens. Future experiments will seek to clarify the mechanisms linking mutagen intake and genetic susceptibility.

The researchers cannot make specific recommendations regarding acceptable amounts of meat intake or exposure to meat-cooking mutagens, based on the current study. Exposures and consumption were analyzed on a relative, rather than absolute scale, and future studies will be needed to determine appropriate dietary intake.

"Our findings support reducing consumption of meat, especially meat cooked at high temperatures or over an open flame as a public health intervention to reduce RCC risk and burden," said Wu.

The researchers do not suggest that individuals should remove meats completely from their diets, but rather consume it in moderation, as part of a well-balanced diet, complete with fruits and vegetables. When grilling or pan-frying meat, try to avoid charring it as much as possible, suggest the researchers.