Abstract
Pancreatic cancer has an extremely poor prognosis, largely due to a poor record for early detection. Known risk factors for pancreatic cancer include obesity, diet, and diabetes, implicating glucose consumption and regulation as a key player. The role of artificial sweeteners may therefore be pertinent to disease kinetics. The oncogenic impact of artificial sweeteners is a highly controversial area. Aspartame, one of the most studied food additives, is widely recognized as being generally safe, although there are still specific areas where research is incomplete due to study limitations. Stevia, by contrast, has been the subject of relatively few studies, and the potential health benefits are based on extrapolation rather than direct testing. Here, we used longitudinal tracking of pancreatic acinar carcinoma development, growth, and lethality in a sensitized mouse model. Despite exposure to aspartame and stevia from the in utero stage onward, we found no disease modification activity, in either direction. These results contribute to the data on aspartame and stevia safety, while also reducing confidence in several of the purported health benefits.
Highlights
Pancreatic cancer has one of the highest fatality rates, making it the fourth highest killer in absolute numbers despite being relative rare in incidence [1]
Through dietary supplementation and longitudinal magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), we find that neither aspartame nor stevia have any significant impact on pancreatic acinar carcinoma development, growth, or mortality
From 7 weeks of age, TAg+ mice on either regular drinking water, drinking water supplemented with aspartame, or drinking water supplemented with stevia underwent MRI scanning every 2 weeks (Figures 1A–C)
Summary
Pancreatic cancer has one of the highest fatality rates, making it the fourth highest killer in absolute numbers despite being relative rare in incidence [1]. A major contributor to high mortality is late detection—more than half of pancreatic cancers are diagnosed at a late stage, where 5-year survival rates are only 2% [1]. This makes identifying the risk factors for pancreatic cancer imperative. The association of obesity, diet, and T2D with pancreatic cancer illustrates the strong linkage to glucose intake and regulation, thereby identifying artificial sweeteners as an important topic for investigation. The use of aspartame as a food additive originally faced widespread resistance due to carcinogenic fears, with increased risk of cancer in some studies of treated rodents [5, 6], the study design has been criticized [7].
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