Meta-analysisindependent cross-checkabstract checked I-DRY-121 standard review
Dairy not linked to lymphoma in long-term studies
Meat, fish, dairy products and risk of hematological malignancies in adults - a systematic review and meta-analysis of prospective studies.
Overview
Sergentanis TN et al.. Leuk Lymphoma 2019 · PMID 30912696 · DOI 10.1080/10428194.2018.1563693
No association with non-Hodgkin lymphoma in 13 cohorts.
Does the study support the specific claim? No · Methodological quality: moderate
Plain-language summary
Study explained simply
- What did the researchers want to find out?
Check animal foods and blood cancers.
- How was the study done?
Meta-analysis of cohorts.
- How many people, animals or samples were studied?
1.48 million people.
- What was actually found?
No dairy-NHL link.
- How large was the observed effect?
Not reported in abstract.
- What do the results mean in everyday life?
Dairy is not shown to cause lymphoma.
- What are the study's limitations?
Abstract only.
- What does it say about Elawady's specific claim?
Contradicts the claim.
- Do the results apply to Germany and Europe?
Applicable.
- What can explicitly not be concluded from this study?
Cannot exclude subtype effects.
Scientific in-depth review
1. Full reference
- Authors
- Sergentanis TN et al.
- Journal
- Leuk Lymphoma
- Year
- 2019
- Identifier
- PMID 30912696 DOI 10.1080/10428194.2018.1563693
- Verification
- verified – PubMed efetch 2026-10-26
- Retracted
- no
- Corrections
- none
- Extent checked
- abstract only
- Conflicts of interest and funding
not stated in abstract
2. Research question
Are meat, fish and dairy associated with haematological cancers?
3. Study design and population
- Study design
- Meta-analysis – Systematic review and meta-analysis of cohort studies
- Population
Adults in cohort studies
- Country
Multinational
- Period
to 2018
- Sample size
13 studies; 1,480,986 participants; 10,442 cases
- Inclusion and exclusion criteria
Prospective studies
4. Methods and endpoints
- Exposure / intervention
Meat, poultry, fish, milk/dairy
- Comparator
Lowest intake
- Endpoints
Leukaemia, NHL, CLL/SLL, multiple myeloma
- Statistical methods
Random effects
5. Actual results
- Results
'Milk and dairy product consumption was not associated with NHL and leukemia risk' (numerical estimates not in abstract).
- Absolute risks
not reported
- Authors' conclusion
Methodologically strict prospective studies are needed.
6. Strengths
- Prospective studies only
7. Weaknesses
- Numbers not in abstract
- Abstract only
8. Risk of bias
- Orienting tool
- AMSTAR 2
- Type of assessment
- simplified assessment (abstract only)
- Full formal assessment
- no
- Overall risk of bias
- some concerns
- Rationale
Abstract only.
9. Assessment of the statistical interpretation
Null association reported without numbers in abstract.
10. Relevance to the specific claim
Prospective data show no association between dairy and non-Hodgkin lymphoma, consistent with the cohort subgroup of A-DRY-13.
11. Independent contrary findings
Case-control studies in A-DRY-13.
12. Transferability to Germany and Europe
Applicable.
13. Overall methodological judgement
Contradicts the lymphoma part of the claim.
| Multidimensional assessment | |
|---|---|
| Authenticity of the source | verified |
| Methodological quality | moderate |
| Risk of bias | some concerns |
| Precision of results | not applicable |
| Directness | direct |
| Reproducibility | unknown |
| Consistency with the overall evidence | consistent |
| Regional transferability | moderate |
| Adequacy of the interpretation (by the archive) | not applicable |
14. Open questions
Subtypes.
15. Linked fact checks
- Dairy contributes to further diseases cited in the archive bibliography: non-Hodgkin lymphoma, type 1 diabetes (cow's milk proteins in infancy) and galactose-induced skin ageing. – Studies contradicting or limiting the claim