A new scientific study suggests that fructose, a naturally occurring simple sugar, may play a role in helping surviving cancer cells spread after chemotherapy.
Researchers at the Wistar Institute in the United States found that some cancer cells survive chemotherapy by entering a dormant state. Although these cells stop dividing, they remain biologically active and continue sending signals to nearby cancer cells.
According to the study, published in the journal Nature Aging, fructose may be one of the signaling molecules that encourages these surviving cancer cells to become active again, potentially contributing to the spread of the disease.
Co-author Aidan Cole said the findings are among the first to suggest that a dietary nutrient like fructose could act as a communication signal between cancer cells.
Researchers believe the discovery could improve scientists’ understanding of how cancer returns or spreads after chemotherapy and may eventually contribute to the development of more effective treatments.
However, the authors stressed that more research is needed. The findings do not mean that consuming fructose directly causes cancer to spread, and people should not make dietary changes based on this study alone without medical advice.
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