IrishMedicalNews

Fizzy drinks linked to pancreatic cancer

Written by Danielle Barron Monday, 08 February 2010 15:51

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Clinical News

Drinking two or more soft drinks per week increased the risk of developing pancreatic cancer by nearly two-fold compared to individuals who did not consume soft drinks, according to a report in Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers and Prevention, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research.

While the health disadvantages of soft drinks have been well-documented, the effect of these drinks on pancreatic cancer may be unique, according to the researchers.

“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 Dr Mark Pereira, PhD, senior author on the study and associate professor in the School of Public Health at the University of Minnesota, US.

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 per cent 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 other developed countries.

“Singapore is a wealthy country with excellent health care. Favourite pastimes are eating and shopping, so the findings should apply to other western countries,” he said.

The authors pointed 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.

Although relatively rare, pancreatic cancer has one of the highest mortality rates, with a five-year survival rate of just five per cent.