Sugary Soda May Increase Pancreatic Cancer Risk

Soft drinks with sugar may have a link to pancreatic cancer, according to a University of Minnesota research study published in a report in Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research. According to University of Minnesota researchers, drinking two or more cans of soda a week had an increased risk of pancreatic cancer.

Soft drinks with sugar are a popular beverage, but they are not recommended for people concerned with weight and blood sugar issues, such as diabetes. Soda may also be linked to pancreatic cancer, but the risk may be because of other lifestyle habits that ofter go along with drinking soda. The study was conducted in Singapore, where soda drinking often goes along with eating red meat and smoking. Smoking is another major risk factor for pancreatic cancer.

The University of Minnesota researchers found that people who consumed two or more cans of soft drinks per week (average of five) increased risk of pancreatic cancer by nearly twofold, compared to people who did not drink as many soft drinks.

According to a statement by Mark Pereira, Ph.D., senior author on the study and associate professor in the School of Public Health at the University of Minnesota, people who consume soft drinks (carbonated sugar - sweetened beverages) on a regular basis tend to have a poor lifestyle habits overall.

'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 Mark Pereira.

Susan Mayne, Ph.D., associate director of the Yale Cancer Center and professor of epidemiology at the Yale School of Public Health, pointed out that although the study was intriguing, there were some key limitations.

"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.

Pancreatic cancer is a relatively rare but lethal form of cancer. One of the high profile deaths of 2009 was actor Patrick Swayze, who died of pancreatic cancer on September 14, 2009.

According to the study data, Pereira and colleagues followed 60,524 people (men and women) in the Singapore Chinese Heath Study for 14 year. There were 140 cases of pancreatic cancer during the study period. The people who drank two or more cans of soda a week (average of five a week), had an 87% risk of pancreatic cancer, compared to the people who did not drink as much soda.

Resources: EurekAlert: American Association for Cancer Research: Soft Drin consumption may increase risk of pancreatic cancer - 8-Feb-2010

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