Soft Drinks Could Increase the Risk of Pancreatic Cancer

A new study has found that consuming two or more soft drinks per week almost doubles the risk of developing pancreatic cancer, compared to individuals who do not consume soft drinks.

Researchers at the University of Minnesota (UMN, Minneapolis, USA), the National University of Singapore (Singapore), and other institutions conducted a prospective cohort analysis in 60,524 participants of the Singapore Chinese Health Study to examine the association between soft drink and juice consumption, and the risk of pancreatic cancer, with up to 14 years of follow-up. Information on consumption of soft drinks, juice, and other dietary items, as well as lifestyle and environmental exposures were collected through in-person interviews at recruitment. Pancreatic cancer cases and deaths were ascertained by record linkage of the cohort database with records of the Singapore Cancer Registry and the Singapore Registry of Births and Deaths; in all, during that time, there were 140 pancreatic cancer cases.


The results showed that after adjustment for potential confounders, the participants that consumed two or more soft drinks per week experienced a statistically significant increased risk (87%) of pancreatic cancer, compared with individuals who did not consume soft drinks. There was no such statistically significant association between juice consumption and risk of pancreatic cancer. The study was published in the February 2010 issue of Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention.

"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 lead author Mark Pereira, Ph.D., an associate professor in the UMN School of Public Health. "People who consume soft drinks on a regular basis, defined as primarily carbonated sugar-sweetened beverages, tend to have a poor behavioral profile overall.”

Dr. Pereira added that the findings are biologically plausible, held up in nonsmokers, remained similar after taking other dietary habits into account, and are consistent with similar findings in Caucasian populations.

Related Links:
University of Minnesota
National University of Singapore