High margarine consumption is associated with an increased risk of pancreatic cancer

This study was published in the American Journal of Epidemiology 1986 Dec;124(6):894-902

Study title and authors:

Diet and pancreatic cancer: a case-control study.

Norell SE, Ahlbom A, Erwald R, Jacobson G, Lindberg-Navier I, Olin R, Törnberg B, Wiechel KL.

Department of Epidemiology, The National Institute of Environmental Medicine Box 60208, S-104 01 Stockholm, Sweden

This study can be accessed at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/3776972

The study examined the association of pancreatic cancer with margarine and butter. The trial contained 99 people with pancreatic cancer and 301 people from the general population who were cancer free.

The study found:
(a) For every 15 grams of margarine on a slice of bread the risk of pancreatic cancer increased 10 fold.
(b) For every 15 grams of butter on a slice of bread there was no increased risk of pancreatic cancer.

The study reveals that a high consumption of margarine is associated with an increased risk of pancreatic cancer.