Processed Meats Linked to Colon Cancer
PHILLIPS: Well, what kid doesn't like hot dogs? But a vegan group warns such processed meats can put your child at risk for cancer. Take a listen.</s>UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I thought I'd live forever. I was dumbfounded when a doctor told me I have late-stage colon cancer.</s>PHILLIPS: Our medical correspondent, Elizabeth Cohen, has been looking into this. Elizabeth, also states that even small amounts of processed meats can cause cancer later in life. That's pretty scary.</s>ELIZABETH COHEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It is pretty scary stuff, Kyra. And I want to make it clear: the group that puts out this ad is an animal rights group. They believe we should all be vegans. So having said that, there is some science between this link between processed meats and cancer. A study recently by the American Institute for Cancer Research found that if you eat a hot dog a day or the equivalent, your cancer risk goes up 21 percent. What kind of meats are we talking about? Well, here's an example, the Elizabeth Cohen collection of processed meats I have right here next to me. Bacon, hot dogs, sausages, ham. We're not talking about steaks and chicken wings. We're talking about foods that contain nitrates. It's believed that nitrates are the culprits here. The American Meat Institute, Kyra, they say that processed meats can be an important part of the child's diet, that they are full of protein and vitamins -- Kyra.</s>PHILLIPS: All right. Are we supposed to stay away from processed meats altogether?</s>COHEN: Well, if you ask the American Cancer Society, what they will tell you is reduce your consumption of processed meats as much as possible. That's how they put it. Another group of cancer experts says, "We agree. Eat processed meats on a special occasion." For example, a slice of ham at Christmas, the occasional hot dog at a baseball game.</s>PHILLIPS: OK. I thought we were going to go to some sound. Sorry about that. I just was thinking about how I'm going to a baseball game Friday night, and I'm debating whether I want to get a hot dog now. All right. Organic or turkey dogs, any better? Does that make a difference?</s>COHEN: Look at the label, Kyra, and if it says there are no nitrates, then, yes. Many experts would say that that is a much better choice than just a regular hot dog.</s>PHILLIPS: OK, Elizabeth. So do you let your kids eat hot dogs or what?</s>COHEN: You know, sometimes I do. And definitely, if you listen to the American Cancer Society, my kids should definitely be eating fewer hot dogs. There's no question.</s>PHILLIPS: OK. They're not going to be happy to hear that over the weekend.</s>COHEN: That's right. They certainly won't.</s>PHILLIPS: Elizabeth, thanks. All right. Well, on Capitol Hill, energy legislation held hostage by partisan bickering. Congress isn't likely to pass a bill any time soon that could help lower gas prices. Yesterday, House Republicans beat back a Democratic measure that would have released 70 million barrels of oil from the nation's strategic reserve. Republican lawmakers say that the move wouldn't lower prices that much, and they're pushing for new offshore drilling. Democrats are against that, saying oil companies should drill on land they already have rights to. Well, stocks sold off yesterday amid a double dose of bad economic data. But today, the reports are a tad bit rosier, and so is the market. Susan Lisovicz on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange with the latest on both. Hello, Susan.</s>SUSAN LISOVICZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hello, Kyra, and the emphasis is a tad bit rosier. New home sales declined 0.6 percent last month, but guess what? Wall Street was expecting twice that. The previous month was revised higher. Durable goods -- that includes everything from toasters to airplanes -- showed the strongest gain in four months, which signals that maybe business spending is on the mend. Consumer spending (ph), we know what that's all about. That rebounded this month from a 28- year low. So mostly due to rebate checks, but hey, it's a glimmer of hope. And we're seeing a glimmer of hope in the markets. Right now the Dow is up 22 points. It's a lot better than a decline of 283. The NASDAQ's up 22, and oil is down $2, Kyra.</s>PHILLIPS: All right. Well, let's get into those housing numbers. Not as bad as expected, but still not really terrific.</s>LISOVICZ: Yes, I couldn't say it better. There's a reason why the housing crisis has been called the worst since the Great Depression. I mean, home sales have declined seven of the past eight months. And sales are down more than 30 percent from a year ago. Existing home sales we told you about yesterday. They came in worse than expected. You were talking a little bit earlier about foreclosures surging in the second quarter. And basically, the housing situation is not going to improve until foreclosures ease and until that massive glut of inventory declines. In the next hour, we're going to be talking about those foreclosures in depth. Back to you, Kyra.</s>PHILLIPS: Sounds good. Thanks, Susan. Well, the professor noted for "The Last Lecture" has died. Carnegie Mellon University Professor Randy Pausch died early today at his home in Virginia. Pausch was diagnosed with incurable pancreatic cancer in 2006, and in September he gave what he called his last lecture, celebrating life in the face of terminal cancer. It was viewed by millions of people on the Internet and became a best-selling book. Andy Pausch was 47 years old.