For those with pancan, did you drink lots of Diet Coke or Coke?

I gave up coca cola in the 80's when dx with type 2 diabetes. I started my day with a coke for 15 years prior to my dx. I never liked diet drinks so I switched to ice tea with different artificial sweeteners until I found Equal. After a few years I tried Splenda as I was told it was the lesser evil compared to the other types. After chemo & Whipple surgery for Pan can dx in 2024 I now use Stevia. My nutritionist in Oncology recommended it as it is a "natural" and a "safer" sweetener.

My husband rarely, if ever drank coke or diet coke. He was into exercise and healthy living for the most part... and died last year at 70 years old from pancreatic cancer. He lasted about 2.5 -3 years after symptoms of stage 4 cancer were first noticed... possibly because he was strong and in good health except for the cancer.

Both my brother and I were diagnosed with stage IV pancreatic cancer 13.5 years apart. We both had the BRCA2 mutation. I had a very health lifestyle of no sugar, nutritious food, no processed foods, strenuous exercise. The BRCA2 mutation was implicated as the driver of my cancer.

My brother had a terrible addiction to sugars once early childhood. He consumed Coca Cola with every meal including breakfast…essentially from the time he woke up until the time he went to bed. His diet consisted of fast food, junk food and generally very poor dietary choices. He thought it funny telling everyone he consumed nothing green except for a salad. When Next Generation Sequencing was done, he had somatic mutations in addition to the BRCA2 mutation. He was found to be HRD negative meaning his cancer was more likely some lifestyle factor. Diet is a leading suspect in his diagnosis but can’t say for sure it was soda alone, processed foods with added preservatives, or other co-morbidities linked to sugar. He also had hypertension, inflammation, high cholesterol. So before trying to blame soda as the culprit, you need to examine the entire social habits of the patient in question.

Dr. Von Hoff is one of the most respected pancreatic cancer researchers in the world and has spent decades studying pancreatic cancer, metabolism, and potential environmental contributors to cancer risk. He has discussed concerns about modern diets, obesity, insulin resistance, processed foods, and artificial ingredients as factors that may contribute to cancer development.
However, even Dr. Von Hoff would likely distinguish between:
A possible contributing factor
A proven cause

To date, there is no definitive evidence that Diet Coke itself causes pancreatic cancer. That said, researchers continue to investigate whether artificial sweeteners, metabolic changes, insulin signaling, and highly processed foods play a role in cancer risk.

If I were to blame my cancer on anything it wouldn't be soft drinks. It would be artificial sweeteners for 45 years, metformin and other pills to reduce BG for almost 45 years, and Rx strength Prilosec for 5 years straight. Also using Styrofoam & plastic cups which contain awful chemicals. I suffered with acid reflux after I had weight loss surgery in 2005 but after my PanCan surgery I did not have any issues with reflux. My oncologist suggested a different med for reflux but I politely refused. That was the only Rx I felt I could safely give up. I do take Creon which I credit with much improvement in my digestion. I am on Nateglanide at each meal and 1 shot of Tresiba (14-16mg) daily depending on amt of carbs I ate that day

I think many of us ask ourselves what, if anything, may have contributed to our pancreatic cancer. It's only natural to wonder.

In your case, you've identified several possible factors over many years. The challenge is that it's very difficult to know whether any one thing actually caused the cancer. Most pancreatic cancers probably result from a combination of genetics, aging, environmental exposures, inflammation, and metabolic factors.