A common sugar may help cancer cells break free and spread

Key Points:

• Researchers discovered that fructose acts as a chemical signal released by ovarian cancer cells that survive chemotherapy, promoting metastasis by encouraging neighboring cancer cells to spread.
• The study showed that fructose lowers cholesterol production in nearby cancer cells, weakening their cellular bonds and enabling them to detach and migrate, which may explain how fructose influences tumor cell behavior.
• High dietary fructose intake, similar to amounts found in sugary drinks, was found to encourage cancer spread even without chemotherapy, suggesting that nutrition could impact cancer progression.
• The research raises questions about the interaction between cholesterol-lowering statin drugs and chemotherapy, as statins may also weaken cancer cell connections and facilitate spread, though patients are advised not to stop prescribed medications.
• The team is investigating whether this fructose-related mechanism applies to other cancers such as pancreatic, colon, and liver cancers, with plans for follow-up studies to confirm broader relevance.