5 sodas a week = 87% increase risk in pancreatic cancer - 2/8/2010

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/02/100208091924.htm
Added On February 8, 2010
A new study suggests a link between drinking soda and developing pancreatic cancer. CNN's Elizabeth Cohen reports.

Soft Drink Consumption May Markedly Increase Risk of Pancreatic Cancer

ScienceDaily (Feb. 9, 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.
See Also:
Health & Medicine * Pancreatic Cancer * Colon Cancer * Breast Cancer * Lung Cancer * Cancer * Brain Tumor

Reference * Soft drink * High fructose corn syrup * Health benefits of tea * Lavender oil

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.

Good Calories, Bad Calories [Deckle Edge] (Hardcover)
~ Gary Taubes (Author)
http://www.amazon.com/dp/1400040787
Quoted from Pg 118:
Chapter Thirteen
DEMENTIA, CANCER, AND AGING
http://textsnip.com/177fcc

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High carb diets linked to pancreatic cancer. Saturated fat appears to be protective.
http://aje.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/content/abstract/171/11/1174

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[nctwinsmom]

main stream sodas are no longer made with real sugar. real sugar is not the culprit - this high fructose crap is the killer!

and how funny this other lady made sure to add, not diet sodas?!

diet sodas are just as bad because of aspertame!

[StabbyRaccoon]

Soda is terribly unhealthy but I dislike these kinds of studies that try to slap a statistic on a correlation. People read it and think "5 sodas a week increases the risk of pancreatic cancer by 87%" and that's simply not accurate because oftentimes a (seemingly) obviously unhealthy food is a marker for other unhealthy habits that account for as much or even more of the statistic than the food in question,

Either way sugar is terrible and the less the better. I just dislike the headline,

[GeorgeZapo]

Consider all things in moderation...

[badmudda]

sorry to hear that. but what exactly are you against? i never said go extreme and pound a gallon of soda and drink bathtubs worth of alchohol everyday and if you get cancer oh well, i just meant theres a fun to risk ratio with everything you do, theres always a chance you may be the one holding the short stick, i personally see no point in living if you try to avoid anything enjoyable that may also be harmful.

[katakisLives]

You clearly have a unique perspective in this matter and I'm not going to pretend I can even begin to understand what it must be like, we can be very complacent when it comes to the things we consume and the potential consequences of this, maybe there is too much artificial junk in our modern diets! you look back at people in the past handling asbestos in factories and think that's crazy! and in the future we could think the same thing about the food we eat.

[artpekarek]

The only food people should eat are things made naturally from this earth, and nothing else.

[artpekarek]

Once you have a pancreatic attack, trust me, there is no going back. You know what you have, and you eat the right things to survive, or you feel pain like you have never felt in your life. I wish I never knew the kind of pain that I have had already, and I am startled by the cynicism that people have about eating. The only things humans should things made naturally. Nothing else.

[katakisLives]

So many things are linked to an increased risk of cancer! there seems to be a new one popping up every single week! baked goods for example are supposed to contain a chemical called Acrylamide! this also applies to fried goods (so in theory a piece of toast could increase your risk of cancer) theres even been a cancer risk attributed to caramel! (Acrylamide again) then of course most recently you eat red meat you'll get cancer! its hard not to get cynical with coverage like that!

[artpekarek]

Easily said from someone who has not had a pancreatic attack. You wanna know why I am the only who has responded to your comment from 7 months ago? Cause the other 90% of us pancreatitis patients are probably not alive anymore.

[artpekarek]

Yeah. And once you get an acute pancreatic attack, you will never consider having that awesome pop. Trust me.

[artpekarek]

Say that after you have been diagnosed with pancreatitis from an attack. I guarantee you will not drink another sip after an attack on the pancreas. 

[artpekarek]

Do you have cancer? If you don't I suggest you keep your comments.