Indulging in foods and drinks with high sugar content is associated with increased risk for pancreatic cancer, according to the results of a new study of Swedish men and women reported in the November issue of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

"Emerging evidence indicates that hyperglycemia and hyperinsulinemia may be implicated in the development of pancreatic cancer," write Susanna C. Larsson, MD, of the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm, Sweden, and colleagues.

"Frequent consumption of sugar and high-sugar foods may increase the risk of pancreatic cancer by inducing frequent postprandial hyperglycemia, increasing insulin demand, and decreasing insulin sensitivity."

In 1997, a total of 77,797 women and men aged 45 to 83 years with no previous diagnosis of cancer or history of diabetes completed a food frequency questionnaire. Follow-up continued through June 2005.

During a mean follow-up of 7.2 years, there were 131 incident cases of pancreatic cancer.

Consumption of added sugar, soft drinks, and sweetened fruit soups or stewed fruit was positively associated with pancreatic cancer risk. For the highest compared with the lowest consumption categories, the multivariate hazard ratios were 1.69 for sugar, 1.93 for soft drinks and 1.51 for sweetened fruit soups or stewed fruit.

"High consumption of sugar and high-sugar foods may be associated with a greater risk of pancreatic cancer," the authors write. "Given the practical implications of these findings and the poor prognosis of pancreatic cancer, further research on sugar and high-sugar foods in relation to pancreatic cancer risk is warranted.

The overall 5-year survival of pancreatic cancer is less than 5%, and abnormal glucose metabolism and hyperinsulinemia may be involved in the development of pancreatic cancer with high sugar consumption as a possible risk factor.

Diabetes mellitus is linked with a 1.8 to 1.9 times increased risk for pancreatic cancer, according to the current authors. Soft drinks are the leading source of added sugar in the US diet, and consumption of added sugar and soft drinks may increase pancreatic cancer risk.

SOURCE: American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 2006;84:1171-1176.