Sugar Sweetened Beverage Intake and Pancreatic Cancer: A Brief Review of the Literature

Cancer is a major public health problem and one of the leading causes of death worldwide. Lifestyle factors including dietary patterns are a major determinant of increasing rates of cancer. Sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) have recently received great attention due to their effects on hyperglycemia, hyperinsulinemia, reduced insulin sensitivity, and obesity as well as their probable relation with cancer. This study aimed to review the current literature on the association between of sugar sweetened beverage intake and pancreatic cancer. We searched MEDLINE and PubMed databases for “sugar sweetened beverage”, “soda”, “soft drinks”, “cancer”, “adenoma”, and “carcinoma”. Totally, 9 studies were extracted. Animal and human studies with case-control and prospective designs related to non-alcoholic beverages and risk of pancreatic cancer were included in this review. Publications on natural and alcoholic beverages as well as those related to other conditions were excluded. Findings from most available prospective cohort studies suggest no significant associations between consumption of sugar sweetened beverages and risk of pancreatic cancer. However, case-control studies indicated that even consumption of low-calorie soft drinks is associated with greater chance of having pancreatic cancer. An animal study also demonstrated a significant association between SSB consumption and risk of exocrine adenomas of the pancreas. High consumption of sugar sweetened beverages might increase the risk of pancreatic cancer due to their effects on obesity and insulin.