People who eat large amounts of meat cooked at high temperature or over an open flame, and are also genetically susceptible, may have a higher risk of kidney cancer, according to a new study. 
 
 Animal muscle, cooked at high temperatures, produces substances called heterocyclic amines and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, which can cause changes in DNA that may increase cancer risk, according to the National Cancer Institute. 
 
 Population studies have not found a definite link between cooked meat and cancer in humans, but studies using detailed food questionnaires have found that increased consumption of well done, fried or barbequed meats is tied to an increased risk of cancer of the colon, pancreas and prostate. 
 
 “A few previous studies have looked at kidney cancer and these carcinogens, but this is the first study to find an association between one of these specific mutagens (MeIQx) and kidney cancer risk,” said senior author Dr. Xifeng Wu of The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston. 
 
 MeIQx is one of the heterocyclic amines formed by high temperature cooking. 
 
 “This is also the first study to look at genetic variants along with consumption of these carcinogens in relation to kidney cancer risk,” Wu told Reuters Health by email. 
 
 The researchers compared the dietary patterns and genetic risk profiles of 659 people newly diagnosed with renal cell carcinoma to 699 people without the cancer. 
 
 Cancer patients tended to eat more red and white meat, and more of the carcinogenic “char” chemicals caused by grilling, pan frying or barbequing, than people without the cancer. 
 
 People with two gene variants, one involving lipid signaling in the cells and another which encodes for the activation of other genes when oxygen levels are low, appeared to be more susceptible to the cancer-causing chemicals in cooked meat. 
 
 These are common gene variants, but their effect on cancer risk was very small, Wu said. 
 
 Those in the cancer group also tended to consume more calories, less fruit, and were more often obese, according to a report scheduled for publication in the journal Cancer. The researchers only surveyed non-Hispanic white adults, so the results may not apply to other racial and ethnic populations, Wu said. 
 
 Heterocyclic amines and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons have been shown to cause cancer in laboratory studies of mice and rats, and have been associated with several cancer types in humans, Wu said. 
 
 “The kidney is responsible for filtering harmful toxins from the body, exposure to these carcinogens through diet would impact kidney cancer risk,” she said. 
 
 Although certain compounds in the study increased kidney risk by two-fold, the lifetime risk of kidney cancer is still low for most people, she said. 
 
 “The recent news on the carcinogenicity of red meat resulted from an existing body of literature on this topic, which focused primarily on cancer of the bowel and colon,” Wu said. 
 
 “The evidence for some other cancers, such as kidney cancer, is not as clear,” she said. “More studies are necessary to understand the role of meat and these meat –cooking mutagens in kidney cancer.” 
 
 According to the U.S. National Institutes of Health, in 2012 there were roughly 376,000 people living with kidney cancer in the U.S., and every year, about 16 new cases are diagnosed per every 100,000 people. 
 
 SOURCE: bit.ly/1jJpr1Q Cancer, released November 9, 2015. 

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 Another study has shown people who eat more meat have a high risk of cancer. This time, it's kidney cancer, researchers reported Monday. 
 
 And it's not just people who eat red meat, as many other studies have shown. People who eat more so-called white meat, such as chicken, have the higher risk, too. 
 
 Grilled meat is seen during a barbecue party. Johannes Simon / Getty Images, file 
 
 Dr. Xifeng Wu and colleagues at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston studied 659 patients just diagnosed with kidney cancer and compared them to 699 similar people without cancer. 
 
 They wanted to break down not just the link, but to tease out the factors that might explain it. They looked at what kinds of meat people ate, how they cooked it, as well as people's genetic makeup to see if certain genes made them more susceptible. 
 
 People who said they ate the most grilled meat — red meat and chicken alike — had a higher risk of kidney cancer, they reported in the journal Cancer. And those with two genetic mutations that already put people at higher risk of kidney cancer were most affected by the grilled meat risk. 
 
 People with kidney cancer also ate fewer fruits and vegetables than people who didn't have it. 
 
 "The American/Western dietary pattern consists largely of red and processed meats, and the results of the current study suggest that the association between this dietary pattern and cancer may be in part explained by exposure to meat cooking mutagens." 
 
 "Although previous studies have linked meat intake with an increased risk of (kidney cancer), to the best of our knowledge the underlying mechanism for this association remains unclear," they wrote. 
 
 Cancer experts have long known that grilling or barbecuing meat can make it carcinogenic. Burning or charring meat creates cancer-causing substances. 
 
 In this case, the two culprits Wu's team looked for were 2-amino-1-methyl-6-phenyl-imidazo(4,5-b) pyridine (PhIP for short ) and amino-3,8-dimethylimidazo(4,5-f) quinoxaline (MeIQx for short). 
 
 "Kidney cancer is among the 10 most common cancers in both men and women," the American Cancer Society said. The group projects that more than 61,000 Americans will be diagnosed with kidney cancer this year and 14,000 will die of it. 
 
 "For reasons that are not totally clear, the rate of new kidney cancers has been rising since the 1990s, although this seems to have leveled off in the past few years," the American Cancer Society added in a statement on its website. 
 
 "Part of this rise was probably due to the use of newer imaging tests such as CT scans, which picked up some cancers that might never have been found otherwise." 
 
 Wu's team also wonders whether an increase in eating meat might explain some of it. 
 
 "Once we have identified more genes we will likely be able to identify a subset of the population that is at particularly high risk to develop kidney cancer if they eat meat and processed meat." 
 
 "The American/Western dietary pattern consists largely of red and processed meats, and the results of the current study suggest that the association between this dietary pattern and cancer may be in part explained by exposure to meat cooking mutagens," they wrote. 
 
 Last month, the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) released a controversial report that stated definitively that processed meats such as sausages and bacon cause cancer and that red meat probably does. 
 
 This study fits in with the studies that undergird the IARC's pronouncement. 
 
 Outside experts said it will be important to find out just what the risk is and what people can do about it. 
 
 "Once we have identified more genes we will likely be able to identify a subset of the population that is at particularly high risk to develop kidney cancer if they eat meat and processed meat," said Dr. Ulrike Peters of the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seatlle. 
 
 "However, overall recommendations to limit intake of red and processed meat will remain for the entire population." 

 If you aren't already cutting down/totally avoiding (or at least feeling guilty about eating) meat following the World Health Organization warning in October, a new study out this week may give you more reason to reconsider your dietary choices. 
 
 [WHO says hot dogs, bacon cause cancer. Does this mean we should all become vegetarians?] 
 
 A paper published in this month's issue of the journal Cancer finds that people who have diets high in meat may be at increased risk of developing kidney cancer. The research, which was funded by the National Institutes of Health as well as other grantees, involved collecting survey information about eating patterns and genetic data from 659 patients at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center who were newly diagnosed with renal cell carcinoma (RCC) and 699 healthy patients. 
 
 Here are five key points from the research: 
 
 1. Individuals with kidney cancer consumed more red and white meat compared to those in the healthy control group. 
 
 2. The researchers theorize that the carcinogenic effect may come from the ingestion of meat-cooking mutagens that are created when meat is cooked at high temperatures or over an open flame — which includes barbecuing or pan-frying. Previous work has shown that these techniques result in the formation of two carcinogens: 2-amino-1-methyl-6-phenyl-imidazo(4,5-b) pyridine (PhIP) and amino-3,8-dimethylimidazo(4,5-f) quinoxaline (MeIQx). The study shows a 54 percent increased risk associated with PhIP intake and a nearly 200 percent increase with MeIQx intake. 
 
 3. Your genetics may make you more or less susceptible to the effects. Researchers found that patients with variations in the gene, ITPR2, which has previously been associated with kidney cancer, may be more vulnerable to ill effects to these mutagens. 
 
 4. The researchers aren't suggesting that you should stop eating meat. They echoed recommendations from the American Cancer Society that people consume meats in moderation as part of a well-balanced diet that includes plenty of fruits and vegetables. 
 
 5. They did have specific recommendations about grilling or pan-fry meat, however: As much as possible, try to avoid charring it . 
 
 The cancer study appears to support the controversial findings of a WHO decision to declare processed meat a carcinogen and red meat "probably" one in October. One of the most aggressive stances against meat taken by a major health organization, the announcement prompted an outcry from bacon lovers and other fans of meat who vowed to continue to eat as they did in the past. According to market research firm NPD Group, they made good on that promise so far, with consumption of processed and red meats and other animal proteins remaining about the same in the week following the decision. 
 
 This post has been updated. 
 
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– The blows just keep on coming for carnivores. On the heels of the news that bacon is apparently a carcinogen and hot dogs contain human DNA comes this: A new study finds that people who eat more grilled meat are at a higher risk of kidney cancer. And not just grilled red meat; even grilled chicken raises the risk, NBC News reports. The Washington Post notes that pan-frying was also implicated. University of Texas researchers compared 659 patients recently diagnosed with kidney cancer to 699 similar but cancer-free people. "Kidney cancer is among the 10 most common cancers in both men and women," the American Cancer Society says in a statement. "For reasons that are not totally clear, the rate of new kidney cancers has been rising since the 1990s, although this seems to have leveled off in the past few years." Though the ACS says that's probably partially due to the use of newer imaging tests that pick up on more cases of cancer, the study's researchers also wondered if an increase in eating meat could be partially to blame. "The American/Western dietary pattern consists largely of red and processed meats, and the results of the current study suggest that the association between this dietary pattern and cancer may be in part explained by exposure to meat cooking mutagens," they write. They found that people with two genetic mutations were at even higher risk from grilled meat, and a cancer expert notes that more study is needed: "Once we have identified more genes we will likely be able to identify a subset of the population that is at particularly high risk to develop kidney cancer if they eat meat and processed meat." Reuters has a suggestion for everyone: When cooking meat over an open flame or at a high temperature, avoid charring it. (The meat industry isn't happy with a federal report extolling a vegan diet.)