In a message dated 10/11/00 1:18:42 PM CST, [log in to unmask]
writes:

<< Obviously, if meat consumption is itself correlated with some
 other factor, then that factor too will be correlated with
 colorectal cancer, and the task is to figure out whether it is
 the meat or that other factor that is causing the colorectal
 cancer (if either is).  Epidemiologists know this and try to
 control for it, by multivariate analysis.  But they can only
 control so many variables.  We don't know if it's the meat
 itself, the cooking of it, or something else -- or whether the
 whole thing is a statistical illusion.

 But it lingers in my mind too, especially since my mother had
 colon cancer not long ago.

 >>

thanks for the reply, Todd, even though it was not what I hoped to
hear, but
I appreciate the truth.......i eat a lot
of red meat and well cooked....i am going to begin to modify my
consumption
now and eat other types of protein more often...fish, poultry, eggs.
over the
years i have
read much about the dangers of excessive red meat consumption-high
heat
cooking of it...and pretty much tried to ignore it...but still had
that
lingering fear in the back of my mind that maybe the reports should be
taken
more seriously, by me, anyway.

one more thing....is pork in the same category as red meat? what about
the
other types of meat-poultry, fish, etc....are there any concerns with
these
foods that you know of? raw meat eating is not something i want to
do...i
would have to cut in small chunks and swallow whole to get it down!:).
yes, i
have tried to eat raw meat...i do not like it.

Mary C.