Associations of red and processed meat intake with screen-detected colorectal lesions.

Abstract

Limited data exist regarding the role of meat consumption in early-stage colorectal carcinogenesis. We examined associations of red and processed meat intake with screen-detected colorectal lesions in immunochemical fecal occult blood test (FIT)-positive participants, enrolled in the Norwegian CRCbiome study during 2017-2021, aged 55-77 years. Absolute and energy-adjusted intakes of red and processed meat (combined and individually) were assessed using a validated, semiquantitative food frequency questionnaire. Associations between meat intake and screen-detected colorectal lesions were examined using multinomial logistic regression analyses with adjustment for key covariates. Of 1,162 participants with available dietary data, 319 (27%) presented with advanced colorectal lesions at colonoscopy. High vs low energy-adjusted intakes of red and processed meat combined, as well as red meat alone, were borderline to significantly positively associated with advanced colorectal lesions (ORs (95% CIs) of 1.24 (0.98, 1.57) and 1.34 (1.07, 1.69), respectively). A significant dose-response-relationship was also observed for absolute intake levels (OR (95% CI) of 1.32 (1.09, 1.60) per 100 g/day increase in red and processed meat). For processed meat, no association was observed between energy-adjusted intakes and advanced colorectal lesions. A significant positive association was, however, observed for the small proportion of participants (10%) with absolute intake levels ≥100 vs <50 g/day (OR (95% CI) of 1.19 (1.09, 1.31)). In summary, high intakes of red and processed meat were associated with presence of advanced colorectal lesions at colonoscopy in FIT-positive participants. The study demonstrates a potential role of using dietary data to improve the performance of FIT-based screening.