Drinking two or more soft drinks a week may nearly double a person’s risk of developing pancreatic cancer, researchers are warning.

Cancer of the pancreas, the disease that killed actor Patrick Swayze last year, is one of the most rapidly fatal tumours in adults; only 6% of people are alive five years after a diagnosis. The pancreas makes insulin, and scientists believe high concentrations of insulin can drive the growth of pancreatic cancer cells.

Read more: Weekly pop may double pancreatic cancer risk