Clinical Trend of the Week (November 13-20): Bacon Cancer
If you want to get the attention of Americans, tell them something bad about bacon! When the World Health Organization (WHO) announced that they were classifying bacon and hot dogs in the same carcinogenic category as tobacco and asbestos, Internet search engines were ablaze with the public and physicians seeking information. The WHO clarified they were not indicating people should abandon eating processed meats altogether, only that "reducing consumption of these products can reduce the risk of colorectal cancer." The initial grouping of bacon and hot dogs with cigarettes was mitigated a bit when the WHO clarified that the substances in that category are not all equal in terms of potential danger. Still, "Bacon-gate," as the media dubbed it, certainly increased physician interest in just what the actual link between colorectal cancer and processed meats actually is.
For more in-depth clinical information, see Colon Cancer.
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Cite this: Ryan Syrek. Clinical Trends for November 2015 - Medscape - Nov 27, 2015.
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