Those who consumed the amount of soda had 87% higher risk of developing pancreatic tumor. Those who drank more fruit juice than soft drinks did not have the same risk.

It should be that high levels of sugar in soft drinks may increase the level of insulin produced by the body, contributing to the pancreatic cancer cells grow, said Mark Pereira, director of the study.

A can of soda contains approximately 355 milliliters of 130 calories, almost all sugar.

“Singapore is a rich country with an excellent health care system.’s Favorite pastimes are eating and shopping, so the findings should be applicable to other Western countries,” added Pereira.

Other studies have linked pancreatic cancer with red meat, especially the burnt or charred.

It is one of the deadliest types of cancer, with 230,000 cases annually in the world. In the United States to 37,680 people are diagnosed with the disease each year and 34,290 die.

About 5% of people with this cancer have a median survival of five years, according to the American Cancer Society.