TY - UNPB
T1 - Sugar sweetened and artificially sweetened beverages, fruit and vegetable juices and cancer risk
T2 - a World Cancer Research Fund International Global Cancer Update Programme (CUP Global) systematic literature review and meta-analysis
AU - Jayedi, Ahmad
AU - Markozannes, Georgios
AU - Kazmi, Sayada Zartasha
AU - Cariolou, Margarita
AU - Vieira, Rita
AU - Kiss, Sonia
AU - Balducci, Katia
AU - Pagkalidou, Eirini
AU - Cividini, Sofia
AU - Aune, Dagfinn
AU - Greenwood, Darren C
AU - Dossus, Laure
AU - Fontvieille, Emma
AU - Ahmadi, Nahid
AU - Mahamat-Saleh, Yahya
AU - Cross, Amanda J
AU - Gunter, Marc J
AU - Zürn, Shalini Jayasekar
AU - Abnet, Christian C
AU - Ferrari, Pietro
AU - Gordon-Dseagu, Vanessa L Z
AU - Maskell, Kristy
AU - Clary, Christelle
AU - Croker, Helen
AU - Mitrou, Panagiota
AU - Riboli, Elio
AU - Baskin, Monica
AU - Chowdhury, Rajiv
AU - Gaudet, Mia
AU - Giovannucci, Edward
AU - Kampman, Ellen
AU - Lewis, Sarah J
AU - May, Anne M
AU - Park, Yikyung
AU - Pischon, Tobias
AU - Severi, Gianluca
AU - Hill, Lynette
AU - Weijenberg, Matty P
AU - Krebs, John
AU - Tsilidis, Konstantinos K
AU - Chan, Doris S M
PY - 2026/7/1
Y1 - 2026/7/1
N2 - BACKGROUND: Sugar sweetened beverages (SSBs), artificially sweetened beverages (ASBs), and fruit and vegetable juices are consumed worldwide, yet their associations with cancer remain unclear.METHODS: Within World Cancer Research Fund International's Global Cancer Update Programme (CUP Global), we conducted a systematic review by searching PubMed and Embase until September 2024 for cohort studies of SSBs, ASBs, and juices and cancer risk. Meta-analyses were conducted to calculate the relative risks (RRs) and 95% CIs per 1 serving/day (355 mL for SSBs/ASBs; 177 mL for juices). Evidence was graded by the CUP Global Expert Panel. The CUP Global standard protocol was registered at: https://osf.io/7utbm/ .FINDINGS: We identified 158 publications from 51 cohorts. There was evidence of a probable causal positive association for SSBs, including carbonated SSBs, with pancreatic cancer incidence (RR 1.09 [95% CI 1.01-1.16]; I
2 =8%, n=18 studies), and for SSBs with colorectal cancer incidence (RR 1.07 [95% CI 1.00-1.14]; I
2 =41%, n=13). Limited suggestive evidence supported positive associations of SSBs with ovarian (RR 1.61 [95%CI 1.03-2.53]; I
2 =0%, n=2), endometrial (RR 1.21 [95%CI 1.03-1.42]; I
2 =0%, n=3), and postmenopausal breast cancer incidence (RR 1.05 [95%CI 1.00-1.10] ; I
2 =0%, n=6), and of carbonated ASBs with leukaemia incidence (RR 1.29 [95%CI 1.01-1.64]; I
2 =0%, n=2). There was evidence of a probable causal positive association for orange juice with different types of skin cancer including melanoma (RR 1.21 [95%CI 1.08-1.34]; I
2 =0%, n=4), and basal (RR 1.12 [95%CI 1.06-1.17]; I
2 =46%, n=2) and squamous cell carcinoma (RR 1.13 [95%CI 1.04-1.24]; I
2 =0%, n=2). An interactive evidence platform is available at: https://teacup.cc.ic.ac.uk/soft-drinks-cancer.html .
INTERPRETATION: This review provides evidence supporting probable causal associations of SSBs with pancreatic and colorectal cancers, and of orange juice with skin cancers, with additional suggestive evidence for SSBs with other obesity-related cancers, extending concerns about sugary drink consumption beyond cardiometabolic health to cancer risk.FUNDING: World Cancer Research Fund network of charities (American Institute for Cancer Research; World Cancer Research Fund; Wereld Kanker Onderzoek Fonds).
AB - BACKGROUND: Sugar sweetened beverages (SSBs), artificially sweetened beverages (ASBs), and fruit and vegetable juices are consumed worldwide, yet their associations with cancer remain unclear.METHODS: Within World Cancer Research Fund International's Global Cancer Update Programme (CUP Global), we conducted a systematic review by searching PubMed and Embase until September 2024 for cohort studies of SSBs, ASBs, and juices and cancer risk. Meta-analyses were conducted to calculate the relative risks (RRs) and 95% CIs per 1 serving/day (355 mL for SSBs/ASBs; 177 mL for juices). Evidence was graded by the CUP Global Expert Panel. The CUP Global standard protocol was registered at: https://osf.io/7utbm/ .FINDINGS: We identified 158 publications from 51 cohorts. There was evidence of a probable causal positive association for SSBs, including carbonated SSBs, with pancreatic cancer incidence (RR 1.09 [95% CI 1.01-1.16]; I
2 =8%, n=18 studies), and for SSBs with colorectal cancer incidence (RR 1.07 [95% CI 1.00-1.14]; I
2 =41%, n=13). Limited suggestive evidence supported positive associations of SSBs with ovarian (RR 1.61 [95%CI 1.03-2.53]; I
2 =0%, n=2), endometrial (RR 1.21 [95%CI 1.03-1.42]; I
2 =0%, n=3), and postmenopausal breast cancer incidence (RR 1.05 [95%CI 1.00-1.10] ; I
2 =0%, n=6), and of carbonated ASBs with leukaemia incidence (RR 1.29 [95%CI 1.01-1.64]; I
2 =0%, n=2). There was evidence of a probable causal positive association for orange juice with different types of skin cancer including melanoma (RR 1.21 [95%CI 1.08-1.34]; I
2 =0%, n=4), and basal (RR 1.12 [95%CI 1.06-1.17]; I
2 =46%, n=2) and squamous cell carcinoma (RR 1.13 [95%CI 1.04-1.24]; I
2 =0%, n=2). An interactive evidence platform is available at: https://teacup.cc.ic.ac.uk/soft-drinks-cancer.html .
INTERPRETATION: This review provides evidence supporting probable causal associations of SSBs with pancreatic and colorectal cancers, and of orange juice with skin cancers, with additional suggestive evidence for SSBs with other obesity-related cancers, extending concerns about sugary drink consumption beyond cardiometabolic health to cancer risk.FUNDING: World Cancer Research Fund network of charities (American Institute for Cancer Research; World Cancer Research Fund; Wereld Kanker Onderzoek Fonds).
U2 - 10.64898/2026.06.22.26355879
DO - 10.64898/2026.06.22.26355879
M3 - Preprint
C2 - 42428101
BT - Sugar sweetened and artificially sweetened beverages, fruit and vegetable juices and cancer risk
PB - medRxiv
ER -