06 Dec Sugar-Sweetened Beverages and Endometrial Cancer
MedicalResearch.com Interview with:
Maki Inoue-Choi, PhD, MS, RD
Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute
National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities, NIH
Rockville, MD 20850
MedicalResearch.com: What are the main findings of the study?
Answer: In our study, postmenopausal women who reported higher consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages were more likely to develop estrogen-dependent type I endometrial cancer, the most common type of this cancer.
MedicalResearch.com: Were any of the findings unexpected?
Answer: Although we are the first to show this association, it is not surprising that women who drank more sugar-sweetened beverages had higher risk of type I endometrial cancer but not estrogen-independent type II endometrial cancer. Other studies have shown that the increasing consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages has paralleled the increase in obesity. Obese women are likely to have higher circulating levels of estrogens and insulin, which are known risk factors for type I endometrial cancer.
MedicalResearch.com: What should clinicians and patients take away from your report?
Answer: Although our study findings are interesting, we are the first to show the association between sugar-sweetened beverage consumption and the risk of endometrial cancer. Because ours is an observational study, it is not possible to establish a causal link between sugar-sweetened beverages and endometrial cancer. Therefore, our findings need to be replicated. Individuals should follow current dietary guidelines to avoid sugar-sweetened beverages. Too much added sugar from any source can elevate person’s overall calorie intake and may increase the risk of a number of health conditions such as obesity, diabetes, heart disease as well as cancer.
MedicalResearch.com: What recommendations do you have for future research as a result of this study?
Answer: Because this study is the first to show the association between high sugar-sweetened beverage consumption and endometrial cancer, such findings may be due to chance and need replication in other studies.
Citation:
Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev. 2013 Nov 22. [Epub ahead of print]
Inoue-Choi M, Robien K, Mariani A, Cerhan JR, Anderson KE.
Authors’ Affiliations: Division of Epidemiology and Community Health, School of Public Health, University of Minnesota; Masonic Cancer Center, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis; Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine; Division of Epidemiology, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine, Rochester, Minnesota; and Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health and Health Services, George Washington University, Washington, District of Columbia
Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention, November 2013
Last Updated on June 4, 2015 by Marie Benz MD FAAD