Food Standards Agency
Thursday 2 July 2009
Safer food better business banner
AZ-Directory
What's NewRSS
What is RSS?Listen
Listen to this siteMonday 8 March 2004
These interlinked research projects aimed to establish the role of heterocyclic amines in colorectal cancer and to determine whether particular genetic groups of the population are at a greater risk.
Study Duration : June 1997 to December 2001
Contractor : Imperial College of Science Technology and Medicine (T01003), University of Dundee (T01004), University of York (T01005)
Large bowel cancer is one of the main causes of death from cancer in the UK and has been shown to be associated with diet. The Agency has funded three research contracts on the relationship between large bowel cancer and red meat consumption. The studies looked specifically at the role of 'heterocyclic amines', which are chemicals produced in the cooking and processing of red meat at high temperatures. The three projects undertaken are:
A particular emphasis of this study was to consider the role of genetic makeup in the susceptibility to the disease. Laboratory tests have shown that heterocyclic amines can damage genetic material and cause cancer in laboratory animals; it has been suggested they may have a role in the development of large bowel cancer in humans.
The collaborative studies conducted at the University of York, Imperial College London and the University of Dundee, working with the University of Leeds, investigated about 1000 individuals, approximately 500 with large bowel cancer and 500 matched controls without cancer.
A particular emphasis of this multi-centre study was to consider the role of genetic makeup in the susceptibility to colorectal cancer.
Laboratory tests have shown that heterocyclic amines can damage genetic material and cause cancer in laboratory animals; it has been suggested they may have a role in the development of large bowel cancer in humans.
The collaborative studies conducted at the Universities of Dundee, Leeds and York and at Imperial College London investigated about 1000 individuals, approximately 500 with large bowel cancer and 500 matched controls without cancer.
The results support other published studies showing that higher levels of red meat consumption increase the risk of large bowel cancer. But overall the research found no evidence for a link between individual differences in certain genes predicted to influence the effects of ingested heterocyclic amines and susceptibility to colorectal cancer.
The data also indicated a lack of an obvious link between the consumption of well-cooked meat and large bowel cancer. The research suggests that if there is a link between the consumption of heterocyclic amines and large bowel cancer it is likely to be highly complex and not just related to DNA damage and mutation.
The work has contributed to information on the development of large bowel cancer and to the role of diet in its development. It will also contribute to the scientific understanding of more general issues relating to the role of genotoxic carcinogens in the development of cancer.
Final report is available from the FSA Library and Information centre.
To obtain a copy, please contact the Enquiry Desk, Dr. Elsie Widdowson Library and Information Services, Food Standards Agency (020 7276 8181/8182 or at
library&info@foodstandards.gsi.gov.uk
).
Substantive papers reporting the results of from this collaborative project have been published in the following journals: British Journal of Cancer, Cancer Research, Carcinogenesis, Journal of Clinical Pharmacology, Mutation Research and Proceedings of the US National Academy of Sciences; details are available by contacting the Agency as detailed below.
Contact
: For any enquiries concerning this research project, please contact the relevant Programme contact or email
science@foodstandards.gsi.gov.uk
Find out what our other sites have to offer