A provocative theory about a “hidden” driver of pancreatic cancer has been gaining traction online, sparking widespread concern and debate.
Across social media, viral posts have claimed that eating too much sugar can set off biological changes that may raise the risk of developing the deadly disease — with some clips and articles attracting more than 10 million views.
The surge of attention comes amid growing alarm over reports that pancreatic cancer is being diagnosed more often in younger adults. Adding to the anxiety is the disease’s grim reputation: it is notoriously hard to detect early, difficult to treat, and long-term survival remains rare.
Much of the attention around the sugar and pancreatic cancer theory has been amplified by The Epoch Times, a controversial US-based media organization that has previously been accused of spreading misleading health information.
Yet behind the attention-grabbing claims, researchers say the scientific picture is more complex — and more serious — than simple scare headlines suggest.
Experts speaking to Our News Outlet say a growing body of evidence indicates that diets heavy in added sugar, now routine for many Americans, may contribute to a cascade of metabolic changes that could increase pancreatic cancer risk.
If confirmed, the findings could prove important not only for understanding what fuels the disease, but also for improving early detection — when treatment is more likely to work — and potentially reducing the chances of pancreatic cancer developing in the first place.
So how much truth is there to the claim, and what role might diet really play in pancreatic cancer? We asked leading specialists to help untangle the evidence, the uncertainty and the myths.
Holly Shawyer from North Carolina was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer aged just 34, despite being a keen marathon runner. Her main symptom was a stomach ache
Normally, when we eat sugar, the body releases a hormone called insulin, which helps move sugar out of the bloodstream and into cells where it can be used for energy.
But regularly consuming large amounts of sugar can mean the body has to produce more and more insulin to do the same job. Over time, this can leave persistently high levels of the hormone circulating in the blood – a condition known as hyperinsulinemia.
And it is this excess insulin, rather than sugar itself, that scientists believe may trigger pancreatic cancer.
The original viral Epoch Times article was based on landmark research from the University of British Columbia which provided the first direct evidence of how this could happen.
In experiments on mice, researchers found that excessive insulin overstimulated pancreatic acinar cells – cells that produce powerful digestive enzymes used to break down food.
This caused them to churn out far more of the enzymes than normal. Some became activated too early and effectively began digesting the pancreas itself, causing damage and inflammation.
Normally, the pancreas can repair this damage. But in mice carrying a mutation in a gene called KRAS – which is found in more than 90 per cent of human pancreatic cancers – the researchers found this inflammatory environment helped precancerous cells take hold and develop.
Speaking exclusively to Our News Outlet, the scientists behind the study revealed they have now found evidence that excess insulin may not only help start pancreatic cancer, but also fuel the growth of tumors once formed.
The findings could eventually help doctors identify those at greatest risk – with researchers investigating whether subtle changes in insulin and blood sugar could provide an early warning that the disease is developing.
They are also examining whether diets high in ultra-processed foods, which can cause repeated spikes in blood sugar and insulin, could be one factor behind rising rates of the disease.
Dr Janel Kopp, of the University of British Columbia, said: ‘There are many factors behind the rise in pancreatic cancer cases, and diet is likely to be one of them. What a person eats can increase their risk of developing the disease.’
The research adds to a growing body of evidence linking diets high in ultra-processed foods to cancer.
A major review of 11 studies found that people who ate the most ultra-processed food had a 13 per cent higher risk of developing cancer overall.
The same analysis linked high consumption to a 30 per cent greater risk of colorectal cancer, an 11 per cent rise in breast cancer and a 49 per cent higher risk of pancreatic cancer.
One large US study, which followed more than 200,000 people for up to 28 years, found that men who ate the most ultra-processed food were 29 per cent more likely to develop colorectal cancer than those who ate the least.
Meanwhile, an analysis of nearly 200,000 British adults found that every ten per cent increase in the amount of ultra-processed food in the diet was associated with a two per cent rise in the risk of cancer overall and a 19 per cent increase in ovarian cancer.
The new findings on insulin offer one possible explanation for these links: diets that repeatedly drive up blood sugar may force the pancreas to produce excess insulin, which could create conditions that help tumors, including pancreatic cancers, grow.
‘A chronically unhealthy diet can lead to obesity, insulin resistance and diabetes – all of which are increasingly linked to pancreatic cancer,’ surgical oncologist Dr Shanel Bhagwandin told Our News Outlet.
‘Over time, these conditions can cause widespread inflammation and changes in the body that may help cancer develop.’
Excess body fat, especially around the abdomen, adds to the problem by driving hormonal changes that promote insulin resistance.
‘While some cases are caused by inherited genes, we are increasingly seeing the effects of diet, obesity and diabetes at younger ages,’ Dr Bhagwandin said.
‘That may be one reason more younger people are being diagnosed with aggressive pancreatic cancers, whether or not they already have diabetes.’
The figures appear to bear out doctors’ concerns. Between 2000 and 2021, pancreatic cancer diagnoses among Americans aged 15 to 34 rose by 4.3 per cent a year, according to a 2025 analysis. Among those aged 35 to 54, rates increased by 1.5 per cent annually.
The disease is still rare in young adults, but experts say the sustained rise is concerning.
Matthew Rosenblum, a social scientist and geographer, originally from Michigan, was only 32 when he was diagnosed with stage four pancreatic cancer
Ryan Dwars, a father-of-two from Iowa, was diagnosed with stage four pancreatic cancer at just 36 after suffering a persistent pain running down his left side and into his chest
And it cannot be explained by obesity and poor metabolic health alone. In some cases, the disease appears to strike young people who are otherwise fit and healthy.
Holly Shawyer, a teacher from South Carolina and keen marathon runner, was just 35 when sudden, severe stomach pain led doctors to discover a grapefruit-sized tumour on the tail of her pancreas.
Speaking to Our News Outlet earlier this year, she said she had considered herself in excellent health and initially suspected nothing more serious than an ulcer. ‘Getting diagnosed in my thirties felt like someone hit pause on my life,’ she added. ‘I didn’t think cancer was even a possibility.’
Cases such as Shawyer’s underline an uncomfortable truth: pancreatic cancer can strike people who appear to be doing everything right. There is no guaranteed way to prevent the disease, and many patients have none of the major known risk factors.
However, experts say there are steps that may reduce the risk – particularly tackling the metabolic problems increasingly linked to the disease.
Maintaining a healthy weight and avoiding poor blood sugar control and type 2 diabetes may all help.
Some studies also suggest a Mediterranean-style diet may be protective.
Research involving the EPIC-Norfolk cohort found that people who consumed more oleic acid – the healthy fat found in olive oil, nuts and avocados – had a lower risk of pancreatic cancer, with the association particularly strong among those who were overweight.
Animal research has also suggested that changing diet may still help after damage has begun. In one UC Davis study, switching obese mice from a high-fat to a low-fat diet slowed the development of precancerous changes in the pancreas.
Dr Adam Gluskin, a gastroenterologist in Illinois, told Our News Outlet: ‘A Mediterranean diet is definitely the way to go.
‘Maintaining a healthy weight and keeping blood sugar under control can likely reduce someone’s risk of developing pancreatic cancer.’
Obesity raises the risk of both pancreatic cancer and type 2 diabetes. People with a BMI of 30 or above are around 20 per cent more likely to develop the disease.
Doctors are also being urged to pay closer attention to patients over 50 who suddenly develop diabetes, as this can occasionally be an early sign of pancreatic cancer.
‘It is uncommon – less than one per cent of cases – but you do not want to miss it,’ Dr Gluskin said.
‘If someone suddenly develops diabetes and is losing weight, or their previously well-controlled blood sugar suddenly becomes difficult to manage, those are red flags that should be investigated.’
People with a strong family history or known genetic risk are usually offered regular surveillance, often with annual MRI scans or endoscopic ultrasounds.
But there is still no reliable screening test for the wider population, making it vital that warning signs are not ignored.
These include unexplained weight loss, persistent abdominal or back pain, jaundice, diarrhoea and changes in the stools.
Yet in younger patients, who have little reason to suspect they have a deadly cancer, such symptoms can be particularly easy to dismiss.
Ryan Dwars, a father-of-two from Iowa, was diagnosed with stage four pancreatic cancer at just 36 after suffering a persistent pain running down his left side and into his chest.
For months, he had put it down to stress or a muscular problem.
For Matthew Rosenblum, the warning signs were different – but similarly easy to explain away.
The social scientist and geographer, originally from Michigan, was only 32 when he was diagnosed with stage four disease.
His stools had turned ‘bone-white’, his weight was dropping rapidly and he had developed intense itching in his hands and feet, while dark urine he initially blamed on a hangover failed to clear.
Doctors discovered a tumour blocking his bile duct and the cancer had already spread through his abdomen.
It is precisely these seemingly innocuous changes that experts say should not be ignored when they persist or occur together.
Dr Shanel Bhagwandin said: ‘The key is recognising when something does not make sense and investigating early, while there is still a chance to catch the cancer at a curable stage.’
