BUFFALO, N.Y. (WKBW) — A study from the University at Buffalo suggests breast cancer patients who regularly drink sugar-sweetened soda are at increased risk for death from any cause and breast cancer in particular.
According to the research, "compared to women who never or rarely drank non-diet soda, those who reported drinking non-diet soda five times or more per week had a 62% higher likelihood of dying from any causes, and were 85% more likely to die from breast cancer specifically."
The research was published online here and in print March 2 in Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research.
“This study is one of the few that looks at the prognosis of women with breast cancer with respect to non-diet soda consumption,” said study first author Nadia Koyratty, a PhD candidate in the Department of Epidemiology and Environmental Health in UB’s School of Public Health and Health Professions.
Researchers assessed the relationship between sugar-sweetened soda and all-cause mortality and breast cancer mortality among 927 women who had been diagnosed with breast cancer ages 35 to 79. A release says "participants were enrolled in the Western New York Exposures and Breast Cancer (WEB) Study, and followed for a median of nearly 19 years."
Officials say the study used a food frequency questionnaire to assess participants’ food and beverage intake in the 12 to 24 months prior to diagnosis of breast cancer.
"Of the more than 900 women diagnosed with breast cancer, 41% had died by the end of the follow-up period. Among the participants who had died, there was a higher percentage of women who reported high frequency of sugar-sweetened soda consumption compared to the women who were still living," a release says.
Researchers say more studies are needed to confirm the findings.
“While we need more studies to confirm our findings, this study provides evidence that diet may impact longevity of women after breast cancer,” said study senior author Jo L. Freudenheim, PhD, SUNY Distinguished Professor in the Department of Epidemiology and Environmental Health in UB’s School of Public Health and Health Professions.
