Artificial sweeteners and human bladder cancer. Preliminary results
Hoover, R.N.; Strasser, P.H.
Lancet 1(8173): 837-840
1980
ISSN/ISBN: 0140-6736 PMID: 6103207 Document Number: 162552
Case-control interviews of 3010 patients with urinary bladder cancer and 5783 control subjects demonstrated no elevation in cancer risk for those individuals who had ever used artificial sweeteners (AS), or artificially sweetened foods or beverages. Positive correlations were observed, however, between use of AS and bladder cancer risk in certain subgroups; these data are noteworthy in that these subgroups had been originally chosen to test hypotheses concerning the carcinogenesis of saccharin by itself, and the potentiation of its carcinogenic action when consumed along with exposure to other known bladder carcinogens. Excess risk was observed in subjects who used both table-top AS and diet drinks or heavy use of either, although risks were small and did not exhibit a dose-response relationship. It was concluded that positive associations seen in this study do not establish a causal link between use of AS and bladder cancer, but do suggest that AS are weakly carcinogenic.