High protein diet has similar cancer risks than smoking?!

False. And this is not a peer-reviewed study.

Er, yes it was actually, it was published in Cell Metabolism: http://www.cell.com/cell-metabolism/fulltext/S1550-4131(14)00062-X#Summary

Nevertheless, the way this has been interpreted in the press is very misleading and when you look into the actual data, the link is rather tenuous!!
1. The study only looked at people over the age of 50, who have a naturally higher risk of cancer anyway (everyone's risk of cancer increases as you get older simply because you have been around longer and exposed to carcinogens longer).
2. The point is not emphasised that the study found high protein intake seems to INCREASE life span over the age of 60.
3. Data about dietary intake was based on a survey - there is big scope for reporting errors here (e.g. people filling in a survey tend to withhold information if they think they're not giving the "right" answers - here on MFP we're generally pretty good about logging everything, but imagine if you were average Joe being asked to fill in a survey on your diet...you might be tempted to make yourself seem healthier than you really were!
4. Scientists know that people who have low levels of a molecule called IGF-1 have a reduced rate of cancer, and we know that restricting protein intake can reduce levels of IGF-1. This study used secondary data for which the actual IGF-1 levels were not available for more than half of the participants. Nevertheless, the researchers seem to have assumed that everyone who eats a low protein diet has low IGF-1. This is not necessarily very accurate.
5. I couldn't find anything in the original paper that suggested the researchers had adjusted their data to take into account things like smoking, alcohol intake or exercise (etc.). The attention-grabbing headline suggests that "high protein diets may be as bad as smoking", but we don't know whether the people in the study were in fact ALSO heavy smokers, or alcoholics, or motionless vegetables who took no exercise - maybe those confounding factors are why they were getting more cancers etc? Just because there is a statistically significant correlation between X and Y *doesn't* automatically mean that X *causes* Y.

There's plenty more, but that's enough reason for me to keep eating protein!!

High-carbohydrate diets are good for you. Just throwing it out there.

http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB118972683557627104

I think the old saying- everything in moderation - applies

I'm pretty sure that in the past decade or so, our so called scientists have found a link from everything to cancer.

Me I shall continue to eat my red meat, and dairy, and wheatever else i feel the need to shovel into my face!

Possibly interesting association (and backed up with a possible mechanism by which it occurs, which is often lacking in these correlation based observational studies)

Problems:

Mechanism proposed only studied in mice

Studying rare events in small sample size

Drawing morbidity and mortality conclusions from a single dietary survey conducted 18 YEARS before (because noone changes what they eat from day to day, let alone over 20 years)

Scaremongering headlines about 'worse than smoking' which is nowhere to be found in the actual paper.

No corrections for other lifestyle factors (of course, it is still useful to know that PEOPLE WHO EAT MEAT are at increased risk for whatever reason even if it isn't the meat that kills them, but a combo of factors, because no diet is without context)

I'm of the opinion that most people on this site advocate eating far more protein than is necessary, but I seriously doubt its potential harm based on this study alone.

It seems to me that maybe the meat might not be the issue and the method of cooking or delivery of said meat could be. Since they are guessing, why can't I?

I think there are quite conclusive studies about cooking methods which make meat a greater risk, but depending on what foods or drink to have with the meat it can be negated.

Not just meats but any food that has been through the maillard reaction which is basically the caramelization of aminos and sugars. yup, cooking food leads to death.

Yes but just drink wine with everything - mmmmm wine is there anything it can't do?????

Nope. It can even give you cancer:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2096711/Oral-cancer-risk-trebles-just-glasses-wine-day.html