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← Return to Sugar's Role in Cancer
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Sugar's Role in Cancer Jun 4 3:40pm | By Angie Murad, Patient Educator (@muradangie)Comment receiving replies
I admit I only know enough to be dangerous on this subject. But...I was under the impression that sugar does provide "fuel" for many types of cancers.
In particular, I've read that PET scans - along with a highly sugary injection of something called fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) - are sometimes used to locate cancer because cancer cells often utilize a disproportionately high amount of glucose compared to healthy, normal cells. When this is performed, I understand the FDG tends to accumulate in the cancerous areas resulting in brighter images on the PET scan.
If true, would it be fair to say sugar is believed to "fuel" (i.e., is utilized in) the development of certain cancers similar to how testosterone fuels the development of prostate cancer?
Just wondering. Always interested and eager to learn. Thank you!
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Hello @kenk1962,
That's a great question, and you are right to be curious! You are correct that every cell in our body, including cancer cells, use sugar (glucose) from our bloodstream. Foods we eat contain carbohydrates such as vegetables, fruits, whole grains, and low-fat dairy sources. Glucose is even made when protein is broken down in the body. What is different about cancer cells from healthy cells is that they grow at a faster rate. Therefore, they use (or metabolize) more fuel. You are also correct that a PET (Positron Emission Tomography) scan with FDG (Fluorodeoxyglucose, a sugary substance), is a powerful diagnostic tool used in medical imaging to detect and visualize metabolic activity within the body, including cancer cells. Understanding how cancer cells use fuel can help the healthcare team know how to treat different kinds of cancer. While sugar is used by cancer cells, it's not exactly like how testosterone helps prostate cancer grow. It’s a bit more complicated. One thing we know for certain is the development of cancer is complicated. Thank you for the thoughtful question.