Coffee, tea, and sugar-sweetened carbonated soft drink intake and pancreatic cancer risk: a pooled analysis of 14 cohort studies

Abstract

Background: Coffee has been hypothesized to have pro- and anticarcinogenic properties, whereas tea may contain anticarcinogenic compounds. Studies assessing coffee intake and pancreatic cancer risk have yielded mixed results, whereas findings for tea intake have mostly been null. Sugar-sweetened carbonated soft drink (SSB) intake has been associated with higher circulating levels of insulin, which may promote carcinogenesis. Few prospective studies have examined SSB intake and pancreatic cancer risk; results have been heterogeneous.

Methods: In this pooled analysis from 14 prospective cohort studies, 2,185 incident pancreatic cancer cases were identified among 853,894 individuals during follow-up. Multivariate (MV) study-specific relative risks (RR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were calculated using Cox proportional hazards models and then pooled using a random-effects model.

Results: No statistically significant associations were observed between pancreatic cancer risk and intake of coffee (MVRR = 1.10; 95% CI, 0.81-1.48 comparing ≥900 to <0 g/d; 237g ≈ 8oz), tea (MVRR = 0.96; 95% CI, 0.78-1.16 comparing ≥400 to 0 g/d; 237g ≈ 8oz), or SSB (MVRR = 1.19; 95% CI, 0.98-1.46 comparing ≥250 to 0 g/d; 355g ≈ 12oz; P value, test for between-studies heterogeneity > 0.05). These associations were consistent across levels of sex, smoking status, and body mass index. When modeled as a continuous variable, a positive association was evident for SSB (MVRR = 1.06; 95% CI, 1.02-1.12).

Conclusion and impact: Overall, no associations were observed for intakes of coffee or tea during adulthood and pancreatic cancer risk. Although we were only able to examine modest intake of SSB, there was a suggestive, modest positive association for risk of pancreatic cancer for intakes of SSB.

Multivariate Adjusted Relative Risks and 95% Confidence Intervals for Pancreatic Cancer According to Intake of Coffee (Figure a; ≥900g/day compared to <0g/day), Tea (Figure b; ≥400g/day compared to 0g/day) and Sugar-Sweetened Carbonated Soft Drinks (Figure c; ≥50g/day compared to 0g/day) by Study

The black squares and horizontal lines correspond to the study-specific relative risks and 95% confidence intervals. The area of the black squares is proportional to the nverse of the sum of the between-studies variance and the study-specific variance. The studies are ordered within each sex stratea according to their weight in calculating the pooled estimate. The diamond reporesents the pooled multivariate relative risk and the 95% confidence interval. The vertical dashed line represents the pooled multivariate relative risk. Abbreviations: ATBC, Alpha-Tocopherol Beta-Carotene Cancer Prevention Study, BCDDP, Breast Cancer Detection Demonstration Project Follow-up Study; PLCO, Prostate, Lung, Colorectal, and Ovarian Cancer Screening Trial.

Multivariate Adjusted Relative Risks and 95% Confidence Intervals for Pancreatic Cancer According to Intake of Coffee (Figure a; ≥900g/day compared to <0g/day), Tea (Figure b; ≥400g/day compared to 0g/day) and Sugar-Sweetened Carbonated Soft Drinks (Figure c; ≥50g/day compared to 0g/day) by Study

The black squares and horizontal lines correspond to the study-specific relative risks and 95% confidence intervals. The area of the black squares is proportional to the nverse of the sum of the between-studies variance and the study-specific variance. The studies are ordered within each sex stratea according to their weight in calculating the pooled estimate. The diamond reporesents the pooled multivariate relative risk and the 95% confidence interval. The vertical dashed line represents the pooled multivariate relative risk. Abbreviations: ATBC, Alpha-Tocopherol Beta-Carotene Cancer Prevention Study, BCDDP, Breast Cancer Detection Demonstration Project Follow-up Study; PLCO, Prostate, Lung, Colorectal, and Ovarian Cancer Screening Trial.

Multivariate Adjusted Relative Risks and 95% Confidence Intervals for Pancreatic Cancer According to Intake of Coffee (Figure a; ≥900g/day compared to <0g/day), Tea (Figure b; ≥400g/day compared to 0g/day) and Sugar-Sweetened Carbonated Soft Drinks (Figure c; ≥50g/day compared to 0g/day) by Study

The black squares and horizontal lines correspond to the study-specific relative risks and 95% confidence intervals. The area of the black squares is proportional to the nverse of the sum of the between-studies variance and the study-specific variance. The studies are ordered within each sex stratea according to their weight in calculating the pooled estimate. The diamond reporesents the pooled multivariate relative risk and the 95% confidence interval. The vertical dashed line represents the pooled multivariate relative risk. Abbreviations: ATBC, Alpha-Tocopherol Beta-Carotene Cancer Prevention Study, BCDDP, Breast Cancer Detection Demonstration Project Follow-up Study; PLCO, Prostate, Lung, Colorectal, and Ovarian Cancer Screening Trial.