Milk and cancer

[Korn]

Red Meat and Dairy Products Significantly Increase Risk of Pancreatic Cancer

According to a new study, fat from red meat and dairy products is associated with increased risk of pancreatic cancer. As part of the National Institutes of Health-AARP Diet and Health Study, researchers followed and analyzed the diets of more than 525,000 participants to determine whether there is an association between dietary fat and pancreatic cancer. This same study found no association between plant-food fat and pancreatic cancer.

Study Reference: Thiebaut ACM, Jia L, Silverman DT, et al. Dietary fatty acids and pancreatic cancer in the NIH-AARP Diet and Health Study. J Natl Cancer Inst. 2009;101:1001-1011.

[Korn]

Milk link to ovarian cancer risk

Consuming large amounts of milk may increase the risk of developing ovarian cancer, research suggests.
A study of more than 60,000 women found drinking more than two glasses of milk a day significantly upped the risk of the most serious form of the disease.
[...]
She said: "Previous research has also suggested that a diet rich in whole milk, yogurt and cheese may put women at higher risk of ovarian cancer.
"But the picture is far from clear, as other evidence suggests that women who drink skimmed or low-fat milk might have a lower risk of ovarian cancer."

The last part is interesting, but could possibly be comparable with some of the studies that concludes with eating fish being healthy, but which come to this conclusion not after having compared fish eaters with vegans, but with 'most people' ( = meat eaters).

Since most people consume milk, maybe the results ("women who drink skimmed or low-fat milk might have a lower risk of ovarian cancer") could look good simply because they were comparing those who drink skimmed/low-fat milk with 'most people'?

[Korn]

Does Milk Cause Cancer? (2007)

Recently, a Harvard researcher gave a provocative talk on the association between cancer and cow's milk and other milk products. The scientist, Ganmaa Davaasambuu, M.D., Ph.D., a native Mongolian, noted that ingestion of natural estrogens from cows (particularly from pregnant cows) in milk may be linked to breast, prostate, and testicular cancers in humans. All are "hormone-dependent" tumors, meaning that they need sex hormones to grow.

Dr. Davaasambuu cited a study comparing diet and cancer rates in 42 countries that showed a strong correlation between milk and cheese consumption and the incidence of testicular cancer among men age 20 to 39 – rates were highest in high consuming countries such as Switzerland and Denmark and low in Algeria and other parts of the world where people eat less dairy. She also linked rising rates of dairy consumption to the increased death rates from prostate cancer (from near zero per 100,000 men five decades ago to seven per 100,000 men today) and noted that breast cancer also appears to be linked to milk and cheese consumption.

More here.