This study conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to investigate the association between saturated fatty acids (SFAs) and cancer risk. The research included 55 studies, comprising 38 case-control studies and 17 cohort studies, published until December 2023. The Newcastle-Ottawa Scale was used to evaluate the quality of the included studies, and fixed- or random-effects models were employed to determine the odds ratios (ORs) and confidence intervals (CIs) using Stata15.1 software. The meta-analysis revealed a significant positive correlation between elevated levels of total SFAs and cancer risk (OR of 1.294; 95% CI: 1.182–1.416; P-value < 0.001). Specifically, elevated levels of C14:0, C16:0, and C18:0 were associated with increased cancer risk, particularly for breast, prostate, and colorectal cancers. However, no statistically significant correlation was observed with elevated levels of C4:0, C6:0, C8:0, C10:0, C12:0, C15:0, C17:0, C20:0, C22:0, and C24:0. Subgroup analysis showed that excessive dietary SFA intake and elevated blood SFA levels were significantly associated with increased cancer risk. Sensitivity and publication bias analyses confirmed the robustness of the findings. The study concludes that high total SFA levels are correlated with an increased cancer risk, particularly for breast, prostate, and colorectal cancers. The findings provide insights for dietary recommendations and potential strategies for cancer prevention and management. However, further high-quality studies are needed to confirm these associations.This study conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to investigate the association between saturated fatty acids (SFAs) and cancer risk. The research included 55 studies, comprising 38 case-control studies and 17 cohort studies, published until December 2023. The Newcastle-Ottawa Scale was used to evaluate the quality of the included studies, and fixed- or random-effects models were employed to determine the odds ratios (ORs) and confidence intervals (CIs) using Stata15.1 software. The meta-analysis revealed a significant positive correlation between elevated levels of total SFAs and cancer risk (OR of 1.294; 95% CI: 1.182–1.416; P-value < 0.001). Specifically, elevated levels of C14:0, C16:0, and C18:0 were associated with increased cancer risk, particularly for breast, prostate, and colorectal cancers. However, no statistically significant correlation was observed with elevated levels of C4:0, C6:0, C8:0, C10:0, C12:0, C15:0, C17:0, C20:0, C22:0, and C24:0. Subgroup analysis showed that excessive dietary SFA intake and elevated blood SFA levels were significantly associated with increased cancer risk. Sensitivity and publication bias analyses confirmed the robustness of the findings. The study concludes that high total SFA levels are correlated with an increased cancer risk, particularly for breast, prostate, and colorectal cancers. The findings provide insights for dietary recommendations and potential strategies for cancer prevention and management. However, further high-quality studies are needed to confirm these associations.