Scientists at the Wistar Institute discovered a surprising link between fructose – the sweet sugar found in many drinks – and the spread of a tough type of ovarian cancer.
After chemotherapy, some cancer cells survive. These survivor cells release tiny chemical messages. One of those messages is fructose. The sugar tells nearby tumor cells to move and grow in new places.
Why Ovarian Cancer Comes Back
Most patients get platinum‑based chemotherapy, and the tumor often shrinks at first. But in many cases the disease returns and spreads throughout the belly. This spreading, called metastasis, causes most deaths from ovarian cancer.
Earlier research suggested that the cells that survive treatment may release many signals that help the cancer come back. To test this, the researchers separated the survivor cells from the substances they released.
When they added only those released substances to other cancer cells, the cells became much better at moving and spreading.
Fructose Works Like a Signal
The team searched for the exact substance that caused the change. They found that the survivor cells produced fructose and used it as a warning flare, urging nearby cells to spread.
Even without chemotherapy, high amounts of fructose – similar to what is found in sugary drinks – made cancer cells more likely to spread. This suggests that diet could affect how fast the disease advances.
In the United States, fructose from high‑fructose corn syrup can make up 8‑20 % of daily calories for many people. Unlike some risk factors, people can lower fructose intake by changing what they eat.
Scientists have not yet tested whether cutting fructose improves patient outcomes, but the study shows nutrition may play a bigger role than previously thought.
How Fructose Helps Cancer Cells Escape
Further experiments showed that fructose lowers the amount of cholesterol inside neighboring cancer cells. Cholesterol acts like a biological glue that helps cells stick together.
When cholesterol drops, the glue weakens. The cancer cells can then break away more easily and travel to other parts of the body.
Statins and Chemotherapy
Statin drugs lower cholesterol and are taken by millions of Americans. In the lab, statins made cancer cells less sticky, which could help them spread.
The researchers are now looking at whether statins might interfere with chemotherapy effects. They do not advise anyone to stop taking prescribed medicines.
Could This Happen in Other Cancers?
The scientists think the same fructose‑cholesterol pathway might affect cancers that spread inside the torso, such as pancreatic, colon, and liver cancers. More studies are planned to see if the finding is universal.
Funding for this work came from many national health institutes, cancer societies, and private foundations.