According to the results of new research by the National Institutes of Health, people who consume a high-fat diet are more likely to develop pancreatic cancer, particularly if their dietary fat comes from animal foods including meat and dairy products.

The Diet and Health study, which was done in conjuction with the AARP, compiled data on more than half a million people who filled in a food questionairre in 1995 and 1996. 308,736 men and 216,737 women participated, and at the time none of them had pancreatic cancer. Participants were then followed for six years on average. During that time, 865 of the men and 472 of the women were diagnosed with pancreatic cancer.

Compared to people with the lowest total fat intake, those with the highest fat intake were 23 percent more likely to be diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. Saturated fat from animal food sources, especially red meats and dairy products, were found to have the strongest risk factors for cancer, increasing the risk of pancreatic tumors 36 percent.

According to the American Cancer Society, pancreatic cancer will strike more than 42,000 and kill more than 35,000 in just this year. It is almost always lethal, a factor which puts it number four in the top causes of death from cancer in the US. Lifestyle factors such as diet play an important role in determining who will develop this form of cancer. Additional risk factors include smoking, diabetes, and obesity.