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. 2016 Dec 13;4(4):E768–E775. doi: 10.9778/cmajo.20160036

Table 6: Summary of cases and proportions of cancer in Alberta adults in 2012 attributable to the consumption of red and processed meat*.

Cancer site† Total Men Women
Observed cases‡ Excess attributable cases§ % Attributable¶ Observed cases‡ Excess attributable cases§ % Attributable¶ Observed cases‡ Excess attributable cases§ % Attributable¶
Red meat
Colorectum 1899 181 9.5 1079 166 15.4 820 15 1.8
Colon 1151 66 5.7 614 44 7.1 537 22 4.1
Rectum 748 68 9 465 50 10.7 283 18 6.2
All associated cancers** 1899 181 9.5 614 166 15.4 537 15 1.8
All cancers†† 15836 181 1.1 8155 166 2.0 7681 15 0.2
Processed meat
Colorectum 1899 54 2.9 1079 41 3.8 820 13 1.6
Colon 1151 68 5.9 614 47 7.6 537 21 4.0
Rectum 748 26 3.5 465 20 4.3 283 6 2.2
All associated cancers** 1899 54 2.9 1079 41 3.8 537 13 1.6
All cancers†† 15836 54 0.3 8155 41 0.5 7681 13 0.2

*Red and processed meat consumption data for Alberta from Alberta's Tomorrow Project cohort, in which a diet history questionnaire was used to estimate the number of ounces of each of red (beef, pork, lamb, veal, venison, liver etc.) and processed (cold cuts, sausage, ham, hot dogs) meat consumed each day.

†Cancer incidence data obtained from the Alberta Cancer Registry. Data from 2012 were used for observed cancer cases for all cancer sites.

‡Number of observed cancer cases in Alberta in 2012 at individual cancer sites.

§Number of cancer cases at individual cancer sites that can be attributed to red and processed meat consumption.

¶Proportion of cancers at individual cancer sites attributable to red and processed meat consumption. Calculated as excess attributable cases/observed cases.

**Represents all cancers with a known association with red and processed meat consumption as listed in table. These values represent colorectal cancer, because colon and rectal cancers are subsets of this type.

††Represents all incident cancers in Alberta in 2012 in all age groups.