The sweet ingredient that could help ovarian cancer spread

Could something found in everyday foods be helping cancer spread? That’s the question raised by new research on fructose and ovarian cancer, though scientists stress the findings were observed only in preclinical models.

The study uncovered an unexpected way chemotherapy-surviving cancer cells may encourage ovarian cancer to spread, opening up new questions about diet, cancer biology and future treatments.

How this sweet ingredient and ovarian cancer could be connected

Researchers at The Wistar Institute investigated what happens after ovarian cancer is treated with platinum-based chemotherapy. While many patients respond well initially, the disease often returns and spreads through the abdominal cavity. According to the researchers, metastasis (the spread of cancer to other parts of the body) accounts for around 90% of deaths from ovarian cancer.

Instead of focusing on cancer cells that were destroyed by treatment, the team examined those that survived.

“Some cancer cells that survive chemotherapy aren’t dividing anymore, but they’re still biologically active,” said first author Aidan Cole. Instead, they keep releasing molecules that signal nearby cells. Our study is among the first to show that a nutrient, in this case, fructose, can act as one of those signals.”

Researchers identify an unexpected signal

The scientists collected the molecules released by chemotherapy-surviving cells. They found these substances alone significantly increased cancer cell spread in a preclinical model.

They then worked to identify the molecule responsible. Their research pointed to fructose, which the surviving cells produced and released as a signal that encouraged neighbouring cancer cells to spread.

The team also found that, even without chemotherapy, exposure to high levels of fructose comparable to those found in sugary drinks produced similar signalling linked to increased cancer spread in their preclinical experiments.

Why cholesterol became part of the story

Using several analytical techniques, including a CRISPR screen, the team investigated why fructose had this effect. They found fructose reduced cholesterol production in neighbouring tumour cells. Cholesterol helps cells stick together like a biological glue, so lowering cholesterol made it easier for cancer cells to detach and spread.

The researchers also observed similar effects with statins, which lower cholesterol. However, senior author Katherine Aird cautioned that patients should not stop taking these medications.

“We haven’t tested this effect in patients yet, but it raises questions about combining cholesterol-lowering drugs with chemotherapy, especially since ovarian cancer is most common in postmenopausal women who are often already on statins,” she said.

What happens next?

The researchers are now investigating whether the same biological mechanism could also occur in pancreatic, colon and liver cancers. However, they emphasise that they cannot yet say the findings apply beyond ovarian cancer.

Importantly, this was a preclinical study, meaning the findings have not yet been confirmed in people. The researchers have also not tested whether reducing fructose intake changes cancer progression in patients.

For now, the study identifies a previously unrecognised mechanism by which chemotherapy-surviving ovarian cancer cells may promote metastasis, while raising new questions for future research into cancer treatment and nutrition.