In the study , people who preferred their burgers well - cooked had double the cancer risk . ` It helps contribute to our understanding of a potential mechanism in the form of [ HCAs ] and [ PAHs ] . '' When meat is cooked at high temperatures over an open flame , a reaction occurs . Heterocyclic oils ( HCAs ) and polycyclic aromatic compounds ( PAHs ) cause several types of cancer .
In the study , people who preferred their burgers well - cooked had double the cancer risk . When meat is cooked at high temperatures over an open flame , a reaction occurs . Heterocyclic oils ( HCAs ) and polycyclic aromatic compounds ( PAHs ) cause several types of cancer .