Purpose: High intake of meat has been inconsistently associated with increased risk of NonHodgkinLymphoma (NHL). We carried out a meta-analysis to summarise the evidence ofpublished observational studies reporting association between red meat and processed meat intakeand NHL risk.Methods: Analytical studies reporting relative risks with 95% confidence intervals (95% CI) for theassociation between intake of red and/or processed meat and NHL or major histological subtypeswere eligible. We conducted random-effects meta-analysis comparing lowest and highest intakecategories and dose-response meta-analysis when risk estimates and intake levels were available formore than three exposure classes.Results: Fourteen studies (4 cohort and 10 case-control) were included in the meta-analysis,involving a total of 10121 NHL cases. The overall relative risks of NHL for the highest versus thelowest category of consumption were 1.14 (95%CI: 1.03, 1.26) for red meat and 1.06 (95%CI: 0.98,1.15) for processed meat. Significant associations were present when the analysis was restricted tocase-control studies but not when restricted to cohort studies. No significant associations werefound for major NHL etiological subtypes. Dose response meta-analysis could be based only on 8studies that provided sufficient data and, compared to no meat consumption, the overall NHLrelative risk increased not linearly with increased daily intake of red meat.Conclusion: The observed positive association between red meat consumption and NHL is mainlysupported by the effect estimates coming from case-control studies and is affected by multiplesources of heterogeneity. This meta-analysis provided mixed and inconclusive evidences on thesupposed relationship between red and processed meat consumption and NHL.

Meat intake and non-Hodgkin lymphoma: a meta-analysis of observational studies / Solimini, ANGELO GIUSEPPE; Lombardi, ANNA MARIA; Palazzo, Caterina; DE GIUSTI, Maria. - In: CANCER CAUSES & CONTROL. - ISSN 0957-5243. - 27:5(2016), pp. 595-606. [10.1007/s10552-016-0745-2]