Processed Meats Raise Risk of Pancreatic Cancer

Ease up on that bacon. A new study in the British Journal of Cancer suggests a connection between eating processed meats and pancreatic cancer, reports the BBC. Specifically, eating an extra 50 grams of processed meat every day—about the size of a sausage—will increase your risk of getting pancreatic cancer by 19%, while an extra 100 grams will raise the risk by 38%.

The percentages sound high, but the overall risk of pancreatic cancer remains low. Still, "pancreatic cancer has poor survival rates," notes the lead researcher in Sweden. "So as well as diagnosing it early, it's important to understand what can increase the risk of this disease." The correlation could be caused by the chemicals used to preserve the processed meats. (More pancreatic cancer stories.)