Nitrosamines, not rocket science.
Yep. A huge reason why Swedish Snus (snuff) is better than any American variety of oral tobacco. Oral-tobacco-related cancers (mouth, throat, etc) in Sweden are ridiculously low; save for pancreatic cancer, which doubled from roughly 1:8000 to 1:4000.
Low nitrosamine content in the final product is the largest influence in the difference between the two production methods for oral tobacco. Pancreatic cancer is an elevated risk for all tobacco use. In Sweden, the cancer rate is no higher for oral cancers than other European countries where oral tobacco use is lower.
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Most cured and/or processed meats don't typically have a great deal of nitrosamines, however, they do contain nitrates and nitrites that can, but will not necessarily, be converted into nitrosamines within the gut. That's one source of potential trouble. Charred meat can also contain other carcinogens, which is another source.
Nitrosamines, however, are not 100% dangerous. If so, vegetarians would be dying left and right of bowel cancers. Many people get more nitrosamines from total vegetable consumption than any meat consumption.
I think it all circles back to one thing: a well-rounded diet. Various vegetables have beneficial micronutrients, of which some can be said to be anti-tumor and others help give the body a boost at fighting anything unwelcome or otherwise boost the immune and cardio functions.
You can and will get nitrosamines in your diet whether you like it or not, but getting the right foods into your body will help minimize their danger. As a reminder, they are not only dangerous to our tissues, but also function as an antibacterial agent (perhaps in a limited capacity).
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Summary: almost everything we eat and drink can kill us. But if we get enough of most things, the beneficial properties can out-compete those that wish to see us dead.