Drinking just two cans of soft drinks per week increased the risk of getting pancreatic cancer by nearly twofold, compared to people who did not drink soft drinks, according to a report in the Cancer Epidemiology, Bio markers & Prevention, a Journal of the American Association for Cancer Research, released on February 8, 2010.
Pancreatic cancer is a relatively rare but deadly form of cancer. Actor Patrick Swayze is one of the people who died in 2009 from this form of cancer. According to the press statement from AACR, only about five percent of the people diagnosed with pancreatic cancer survive for five years.
While the study found an association, it is possible that the risk factor could be attributed to consumption of red meat and smoking, lifestyle habits that go along with soda consumption in Singapore.
The study, conducted in Singapore, was a relatively small sample, but the results may also be applicable to the United States. The cancer risk could also be attributed to poor health habits overall, because people who drink soda may have other health habits that can cause increased cancer risk.
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 tend to have a poor behavioral profile 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 Pereira.
Susan Mayne, Ph.D., associate director of the Yale Cancer Center and professor of epidemiology at the Yale School of Public Health, called the study results intriguing but pointed out 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.
Resources: EurekAlert: American Association for Cancer Research: Soft drink consumption may increase risk of pancreatic cancer; 8-Feb-2010
Written by Christine Nyholm
HULIQ.com
Comment and add to the story without registration, but keep the comments meaningful please. Links are not accepted.
