Older women who consume processed meat on a weekly basis are at a higher risk of being diagnosed with breast cancer.
Researchers stated that women who eat over 9g (three pieces of bacon or two sausages) of the popular breakfast meats are 15 percent more likely to develop the disease.
The team of researchers at the University of Glasgow analysed the diets of 260,000 middle-aged women from the United Kingdom. Their results showed that the women who consumed sausages and bacon increased their risks by a fifth.
The impact of processed meats only had an impact on post-menopausal women, the team revealed that no similar results were found amongst younger women.
Naveed Sattar, who is one of the authors of the study stated that people need to cut down on the number of processed meats they are eating on a day to day basis.
Last year, scientists claimed that obese women should be screened for breast cancer on a more regular basis, as it is harder to locate tumours in a woman with a high BMI.
They found that women who are overweight are also at an increased risk of developing breast cancer, just like those who consumed processed meats.
They discovered that bigger women develop larger tumours, but often receive a weaker prognosis due to delayed diagnosis.
Experts have advised women to be aware of the signs and symptoms of breast cancer. Being aware of the signs can help catch cancer earlier.
The signs and symptoms are:
- A lump in your breast
- A change in size or shape of your breasts
- A change in the skin such as redness or puckering
- Pain in your armpit or breast
- A change on or around the nipple such as a rash or flaky skin
- Swelling in your armpit or collarbone area
- A change in the direction or shape of your nipple
- An unusual discharge from one or both of your nipples
Doctors believe that you should check your breasts for irregularities on a regular basis. If you are concerned about any unusual symptoms visit your GP.
