Study summary: The current study was designed to examine the relationship between the intake of meat in general, meat prepared by different cooking methods, and dietary intake of heterocyclic aromatic amines (HCA) with the level of DNA adducts (cancer markers) in the breast tissue of women undergoing breast reduction surgery. Consumption of meat and the associated HCA were determined using a questionnaire in 44 women undergoing reduction mammoplasty. A median DNA adduct level of 18.45 per 109 nucleotides in breast tissue was found to be present; median HCA intake was 40.43 ng/day. The level of DNA adducts in breast tissue was found to be statistically significantly correlated with total HCA intake (r = 0.33, P = 0.03), as well as consumption of fried meat (r = 0.39, P = 0.01), beef (r = 0.32, P = 0.03), and processed meat (r = 0.51, P = 0.0004). However, the detected DNA adducts were not necessarily specific only for HCA, so it is possible that HCA intake reflects intake of other genotoxic substances in meat prepared at high temperatures, such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons.