Could Consumption of UPFs Up Lung Cancer Risk?

Individuals who ate more ultraprocessed foods (UPFs) had a significantly higher risk for lung cancer over 12 years than those who ate fewer UPFs, based on new data from more than 100,000 adults in an observational study.

Cigarette smoking is a known contributor to lung cancer, but diet also is known to play a role; however, data on the impact of UPFs in particular on lung cancer risk remain unclear, Kanran Wang, MD, of Chongqing Cancer Hospital, Chongqing, China, and colleagues wrote.

In a study published in Thorax, the researchers reviewed data from 101,732 adults enrolled in the Prostate, Lung, Colorectal and Ovarian (PLCO) Cancer Screening Trial, a randomized trial of screening tests for lung, prostate, colorectal, and ovarian cancers from 10 centers across the US. The primary endpo