A recent study in Shanghai, China, associated high intakes of salt-preserved fish and meat with an increased risk of oral and pharyngeal cancer. N-nitroso compounds in the salted foods may play a role in carcinogenesis. The relationship of salted meat consumption to oropharyngeal cancer risk has also been studied in Uruguay, another country where salt-preserved foods are traditional components of the diet.

The hospital-based case-control study was conducted in the Oncology Institute in Montevideo. The researchers interviewed 246 men with oral or pharyngeal cancer and 253 male controls hospitalized for other diseases. The food frequency questionnaire used in this study was limited; it did, however, include specific questions about past and current consumption of fresh, salted, and barbecued meats.

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—      As is true in most studies of oral and pharyngeal cancer, tobacco smoking and alcohol drinking were the most important risk factors. After controlling for these factors and for age, place of residence, and education, the researchers found that current salted meat consumption was associated with a significant two-fold increase in oropharyngeal cancer risk. The risk was greater for those who consumed salted meat more frequently. Past consumption of salted meat was associated with a 40% increase in risk, which did not achieve statistical significance.

The results of this study indicate that consumption of salt-preserved foods is associated with increased oropharyngeal cancer risk in this South American country, just as it is in Shanghai.

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