Just a Couple of Sodas a Week May Double the Risk of
Pancreatic Cancer
No association was seen between fruit juice
consumption and pancreatic cancer
Feb. 8, 2010 - Consuming two or more soft drinks
per week increased the risk of developing pancreatic cancer by nearly
twofold compared to individuals who did not consume soft drinks,
according to a report in Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention, a
journal of the American Association for Cancer Research.
Although relatively rare, pancreatic cancer remains
one of the most deadly, and only 5 percent of people who are diagnosed
are alive five years later.
Mark Pereira, Ph.D., senior author on the study and
associate professor in the School of Public Health at the University of
Minnesota, said people who consume soft drinks on a regular basis,
defined as primarily carbonated sugar-sweetened beverages, tend to have
a poor behavioral profile overall.
However, the effect of these drinks on pancreatic
cancer may be unique.
"The high levels of sugar in soft drinks may be
increasing the level of insulin in the body, which we think contributes
to pancreatic cancer cell growth," said Pereira.
For the current study, Pereira and colleagues
followed 60,524 men and women in the Singapore Chinese Health Study for
14 years. During that time, there were 140 pancreatic cancer cases.
Those who consumed two or more soft drinks per week (averaging five per
week) had an 87 percent increased risk compared with individuals who did
not.
No association was seen between fruit juice
consumption and pancreatic cancer.
Pereira said that these results from Singapore are
likely applicable to the United States.
"Singapore is a wealthy country with excellent
health care. Favorite pastimes are eating and shopping, so the findings
should apply to other western countries," said Pereira.
Susan Mayne, Ph.D., associate director of the Yale
Cancer Center and professor of epidemiology at the Yale School of Public
Health, said these study results are intriguing but have some key
limitations that should be considered in any interpretation.
"Although this study found a risk, the finding was
based on a relatively small number of cases and it remains unclear
whether it is a causal association or not. Soft drink consumption in
Singapore was associated with several other adverse health behaviors
such as smoking and red meat intake, which we can't accurately control
for," said Mayne, an editorial board member of Cancer Epidemiology,
Biomarkers & Prevention.
Pereira points out that the findings are
biologically plausible, held up in non-smokers, remained similar after
taking other dietary habits into account and are consistent with
findings in Caucasian populations.
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Feb. 8, 2010 - Consuming two or more soft drinks
per week increased the risk of developing pancreatic cancer by nearly
twofold compared to individuals who did not consume soft drinks,
according to a report in Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention, a
journal of the American Association for Cancer Research.