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

I'm pretty sure that I understand your drive to *know*. Having said that, I urge you to accept that you will never know -- none of us will. We humans are exposed to literally hundreds of chemicals (air, water, food) whose presence we can't control. Even people who eat as clean as they can can't know whether the bee that pollinated the healthful thing they're eating was previously in a field full of Roundup -- you know?

Fwiw, one researcher (M. Du) has been investigating the possibility of a link between pancan and PCOS (which I had; not clear whether it causes or is caused by insulin resistance). Obviously this would be only one possible link, given that bio-men can't have polycystic ovaries.

Also fwiw, I drank a little sugary soda from childhood until about 30 and then a little diet soda until about 50 -- but my sibs did too, and neither of them has or had pancan.

My diet was good in childhood but so-so for most of my adult life, and I took so-so care of myself, partly bc I was complacent (my family had relatively little illness on both sides). At 58, I finally became realistic and changed to a plant-based, almost-no-lab-chemicals, almost-no-added-sugar diet. Stuck with it for 3 years and 2 mos. And then got sick and and got the diagnosis of pancan. (Which one of my maternal aunts had, and I'll soon know, from a genetic counselor, whether I have some mutation / familial inclination.) (Also, my diet has been poor since diagnosis only bc I'm queasy much of the time; I plan to resume eating well after my current oral chemo.)

One in three Americans will be diagnosed with cancer in their lifetime. Plenty of them practice good habits. (One of my close friends, in fact -- exemplary habits, but breast cancer.) It's a crap shoot. In some ways that stinks, but it is so.

I wish you well.

(And please think about whether "I need to know _why_" is maybe -- maybe -- a way of not letting yourself grieve, or of not facing an understandable anxiety about the unpredictability of life.)

I want to remark on something you wrote: "European countries do a much better job of policing what foods are consumed by their citizens. Not sure how this can be fixed."

In the US it won't be, or at least not any time soon, bc our national myths are centered around independence and self-reliance rather than on any idea of the common good. Even the word that you used (policing, which I have zero problem with) is, as you know, anathema to much of this country. (Many Americans wouldn't wear masks to protect others; they're not going to elect pols who will pass EU-style regulations on what we consume.)

I prefer the EU style, but a different approach is needed here -- and I have no idea what it might consist of, because we also have a very free info-dispersal system that shares a lot of mis- and disinformation, which means that a lot of people don't get the accurate info they need about healthful habits.

And, there's the poverty + poor diet connection -- too big a topic to tackle here.

One PS about risk factors: I ate very little red meat from my mid-20s thru 40 and then virtually none, had about 4-6 alcoholic drinks per year, didn't take illegal drugs, and basically didn't smoke (smoked < 30 alternative cigs per year from about 16-31 -- clove, Honeyrose, etc.). But here I am ... Meanwhile, one of my besties, who was a college housemate for two years, drank a ton of sugary Coke -- but no cancer of any kind. His nephew, who grew up with healthful habits, had childhood leukemia. A crap shoot.

PS: From https://health.clevelandclinic.org/pancreatic-cancer-its-on-the-rise-but-theres-reason-to-be-hopeful
"While physicians and researchers don’t fully understand why there’s an uptick in pancreatic cancer rates, they have some theories involving the following factors:
-- Rise in obesity ...
-- High sugar levels ...
-- Rise in pancreas disease ... "

Thank you for all that! Yes all very true. We here in the US of A have this crazy idea that corporate America can do mostly whatever they want even if it’s blatantly killing people. That corporate America as a separate entity is basically protected thus they shove at us whatever they want knowing we are trusting and misinformed about many products. If they get caught they file bankruptcy and start up again new name. California is trying to get it right as the EU is trying. Then if groups push to fix things it gets flipped into a political issue which it is NOT it’s a humanity issue. And yes there is the class issue which I thought about but like you said too much to get into. We need more scholars to step up and keep it a humanity issue.
So you are an anomaly really. Yours is not hereditary? And yes I know some big drinkers and smokers who seem to be fine now although a friend who is a big, big drinker and smoker was just diagnosed with colorectal cancer stage 3.
She just went through chemo had her tumor removed and is still drinking :(.
I am oversimplifying all of this I know. Ugh an article just came out Washington Post about chestnut trees and a group trying to genetically engineer a version resistant to the fungus killing them. They just discovered they were adding the fungus resistant genes to the wrong tree genome which was why some of the trees were shorter than normal had curly leaves etc. someone switched the labels they say years ago. They’ve been working for 10 yrs on this. Genes are so complex and mutations occur from various environmental factors also affected by heredity
maybe that’s why researchers just try to perfect a cure instead of diving into prevention it’s just a big rabbit hole. Thanks for replying so many interesting perspectives everyone has. Merry Christmas and happy holidays!

Regarding the increase being seen in numbers of pancreatic cancers diagnosed, a couple of factors need to be pointed out. Pancreatic cancer has a median of age 70 for being diagnosed. The Baby Boom generation with births between 1946 through 1964 was the largest demographic group and the peak year of births ever was 1957. Those born in 1953 are age 70 which is the median age for being diagnosed. Smoking is the major factor in causing somatic mutations leading to pancreatic cancer. Others are obesity, exposure to chemicals, toxins, pollution, obesity and processed foods.

A landmark study was published in 2010 by researchers at Johns Hopkins Hospital on the length of time it took from initial exposure to trigger an event in which a cell began to undergo changes until a mutation arose that established itself and the malignant cell proliferated. The study found in takes around 17 years until pancreatic cancer becomes detectable. To support the JHH findings are two events in prior decades that support the findings: First responders that worked at Ground Zero of the WTC site after 9/11 and Military troops stationed in Iraq after the second Gulf War that were ordered to work the Burn Pits to dispose of unknown hazardous materials and were not provided personal protective gear. I mentor a number of these individuals and most at 17 years from initial exposure were diagnosed with pancreatic cancer.

I come from a clinical cancer and immunology research background of 40+ years. I became health conscious as an adolescent and gave up white refined sugar when I was 10 years old. I gave up drinking soda when I started University studies. I never consciously used sugar substitutes, rather I avoided artificial sweeteners and learned to eat foods without adding sweeteners. The Mother of my university roommate I have known since I was 18 was always slim and exercised and used copious amounts of artificial sweeteners. She used it for baking, in tea and coffee, on fruits and just about anything else to satisfy her craving for a sweet taste according to her children. (She was diagnosed in 2012 at age 77-about 4 months after my diagnosis at age 55. My pancreatic cancer was a germline (inherited) mutation while hers was a somatic (spontaneous) mutation). So I did a search for studies related to artificial sweeteners and whether they have been linked to the promotion of or definitely causing cancer. Here are two links- one from the National Cancer Institute of the National Institutes of Health and another from ScienceDaily which is a trade publication in the life Sciences arena.

Often I have attending scientific meeting where it has been mentioned of a disturbing trend that women are being diagnosed at an earlier age and the reason was unknown. At a meeting a few weeks ago at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSKCC) where a scientific research symposium on pancreatic cancer was held, one of the topics presented was on the increase in women. Three risk factors are being focused on by epidemiologists at the moment; smoking, obesity and alcohol consumption. These studies are in progress so there is no data available at present to draw any conclusions.

Thank you so much for this! I have been reading through the studies, have a question if the research was published in 2010 it couldn’t include the 911 data from 2001 right? That wouldn’t be 17 yrs. The Iraq war was 2003? Maybe it was the Vietnam war?
Do you believe that these studies are conducted by research institutions free from outside corprate influence? I just don’t trust that studies are neutral and not influenced by corporate pressure of some kind. You know data in data out kind of thing.
The fact that women are getting PANCAN younger means something.
Also how is it even possible to call obesity a “cause” of cancer. There are so many variables as to why someone becomes obese right? In terms of what they are eating. There’s possible lack of exercise, too much sugar, too much processed foods and too much alcohol/beer. Of course there are obese people who don’t get cancers.
The research focusing on alcohol, smoking and obesity as direct causes is very interesting, I would like to know the results and how the study is being conducted. Do members of the study group have to have all three factors?
Well thanks so much for all of this great information!

I am 64, diagnosed with pan can June 2023.
My aunt had pan can when she was 73-she never drank or smoked, pretty sure she didn't drink any kind of soda. My dad had pan can when he was 80. He was a fertilizer salesman for 30 years and sold Roundup. He was a heavy drinker, but did not smoke. My dad did not drink any kind of soda. He was diagnosed with diabetes before he was diagnosed with pan can. He was probably 50 pounds overweight. He was in the Korean war.
My mom ate the same thing we all as a family ate - she never drank or smoked-never had cancer -she had a heart attack at age 66, and died at 87 from heart failure.
I had genetic testing - nothing was found.
I have 5 brothers and sisters - my mom washed our clothes in the same washing machine she washed my dad's clothes. We grew up without sodas in the house. We ate a lot of red meat. We didn't have candy in the house, except for Christmas and Easter.
I've had a lot of stress in my job the last 6 years - walked up to 2 miles a day at work - have exercised moderately over the years. But was 20 pounds overweight at time of diagnosis. I've eaten a lot more sugar than my parents ever ate-I love sweets.
I drank diet soda in college and after college. Over the last 30 years I have probably had a diet soda or regular soda maybe once a month. I have never drank alcohol or smoked.
I am so far the only one of my siblings with pan can. My older brother had prostate cancer. My older sister died from lymphoma.

Thanks so much for your response. I have learned so much about the journeys others have been on. I appreciate all of your thoughts. You are right we may never know the why but being an optimist if we can send vehicles to Mars and back well there’s hope right? My diet previously to diagnosis was plant based, lots of exercise and never a smoker, never over weight. I too have not eaten the best since my Whipple. I have been trying to put on weight so eating mayo and butter red meat sometimes, and trying to load up on protein but not a fan of the protein drinks so I can relate to having poor food choices at times.
I have been a “why” person all my life nothing really new here.
Mostly it’s to help others. I really feel there needs to be more transparency with research involving all cancers. People shouldn’t have get answers only after they are diagnosed.
Not sure how would that work. The American cancer society, St Jude’s etc have ads to ask for donations for research which is greatly needed. And we are inundated non-stop with pharmaceutical ads for drugs. I would like to see ads helping people to make better choices with food and lifestyle. There are finally commercials many years later about lung cancer. Lung cancer Patients showing what can happen when you smoke. We needed that in the 60s and 70s.
I don’t think the sugar corporations in America would allow anything negative about sugar. We can’t even say someone is “obese”. If we can’t talk about it how can it be fixed? There are record numbers of obese children who will become obese adults. Why is this OK? We can see multiple ads daily for sports gambling and numbers to call for gambling problems, where are the numbers to help with obesity? Or obesity in children. Or to explain risks associated with excess sugar, processed foods and alcohol?
Ok sorry off on a tangent.
Thanks again for all your thoughts! Hope you start feeling better and can get back on track with your diet and to some kind of normalcy! Have a good night! Merry Christmas and happy holidays. 🎄

Thank you for your response. I think stress plays a big role as a risk. I too was stressed out under lots of stress at my job. So your dad was subjected to Roundup which we now know is cancer causing. Ugh
So he was diabetic and you enjoyed sugar so there’s sugar in alcohol.
I think sugar must play a big role in all of this. I know my mom devoured Coke and ice cream. She was not really overweight but she also developed diabetes before she was diagnosed with pancan. Sorry to hear about your family members who have passed. I think sugar must play a pretty big role in all this. Your story is very helpful and interesting. Thank you for being so specific. Wishing you the best. Have a great night Merry Christmas.