Study links soda with pancreatic cancer

TAMPA - An alarming new study may have you putting down that soda.

A new study says consuming two or more soft drinks a week doubles the risk of developing pancreatic cancer.

"I have to say that I'm not surprised," said Connie Bryant of Tampa, who stopped drinking soda many years ago.

On the other hand, Margaret Martinez says she has to drink four 20 oz sodas every single day.

"I don't think that's true. No. I don't think that's true," she said.

But the researchers say high levels of sugar in sodas may be to blame. They studied 60,000 people in Singapore over 14 years. One hundred forty developed pancreatic cancer. Dr. Alex Rosemurgy, an expert in the illness, is skeptical.

"If you are studying 100 people, it's difficult. But when you're studying 50,000 people, in many cases, it's impossible to really find out the truth," said USF Health's and TGH's Dr. Alex Rosemurgy.

Dr. Rosemurgy points out that soft drink consumption in the U.S. is high, while instances of pancreatic cancer are low. He thinks the study does merit further investigation.

"It's really a bit of a stretch for me to think that sugar-containing beverages do this," he said.

The American Beverage Association dismisses the study. It released a statement that reads in part "This study did not look at dietary patterns, but instead focused on the single item of soft drinks ... The fact remains that soft drinks do not cause cancer."

"It's just not good for you," said Bryant. "It's just a lot of sugar, a lot of empty calories and no benefit to you, so why drink it," she said.

Ralph Carrasquillo drinks mostly water and thinks there must be truth to the story.

"I'd rather just stick to all natural if I can," he said.

The researchers also looked at whether juice, which is also high in sugar, had any impact on incidents of pancreatic cancer. They found no link between juice and the disease.

The report is published in Monday's Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention , a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research.