Hi Donnajean,

Yes you have listed several things that are implicated in overall (not necessarily oral)cancer rate increases. Smoked foods contain many similar compounds (tars)as tobbacco smoke. Grilled foods may also pick up some of the same. Nitrates and nitrites both change into nitrosamines which can be rather potent carcinogins. The amount of nitrate/nitrites in prepared meats is supposed to be relatively safe but I would avoid them if possible. I have read that vitimin C consumed together with nitrates/nitrites reduces or prevents the conversion to nitrosamines. (some manufacturers add vitimin C to the meat products during production) Peanuts and peanut products commonly contain chemicals produced by a fungus that is found in the shell of the peanut. These chemicals are also known to be carcinogenic. (many different fungi produce a host of terribly toxic chemicals)

Having said all this may spark heated debate, and I am prepared to defend myself. My disclaimer is as follows. I have spent too much time of my own trying to figure out what caused my cancer. The truth is I probably will never know. In my life I have consumed lunch meat, smoked foods, grilled foods, peanut butter, peanuts from in the shell, pickles, corned beef, (talk about nitrates!) Beer (I make my own), scotch, wine, (and more), several cigars, very little chewing tobbacco, sniffing snuff, and a whole pile of chemicals. I have handled metalic lead, mercury, cadmium, cut and handled lots of arsenic soaked lumber (yes the green stuff), I have sprayed my garden and lawn with things I cannot pronounce the name of, The fish I catch and eat are not safe, but in the end It may have been a whiff of smoke from a campfire or a twisted genetic issue that started my cancer.

I still wish I knew....