Background: Phosphorus, potassium, and magnesium have been shown to be associated with diabetes, a risk factor for pancreatic cancer. Studies assessing potassium and magnesium intake and pancreatic cancer risk have yielded mixed results, whereas findings for phosphorus intake have mostly been null.

Objectives: To examine associations between dietary intake of phosphorus, potassium, and magnesium and pancreatic cancer risk in a large international consortium, the Pooling Project of Prospective Studies of Diet and Cancer.

Methods: A pooled analysis of 12 cohort studies including 829,690 individuals was conducted; 2,212 incident pancreatic cancer cases were identified during follow-up. Diet was assessed at study enrollment using validated food frequency or diet history questionnaires. Multivariable study-specific hazard ratios (MVHR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were calculated using Cox proportional hazards models and then pooled using random-effects models. We adjusted for smoking habits, personal history of diabetes, alcohol intake, body mass index (BMI), and energy intake.

Results: No statistically significant associations were observed for pancreatic cancer risk and dietary intake of phosphorus (MVHR=0.95, 95% CI=0.80-1.13), potassium (MVHR=0.94, 95% CI=0.78-1.14), or magnesium (MVHR = 0.89, 95% CI = 0.72-1.11) comparing the highest to lowest quintile of intake. Similarly, no significant associations were observed when intake was categorized using common absolute cutpoints or modeled continuously. These associations were consistent within sex, smoking status, and BMI strata and when the case definition was limited to pancreatic adenocarcinoma.

Conclusion: Overall, no evidence of association was observed for magnesium, potassium, or phosphorus intakes during adulthood and pancreatic cancer risk.