{
  "id": 172479,
  "title": "Scientists Warn One Everyday Sugar May Help Cancer Spread",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/05/scientists-warn-one-everyday-sugar-may-help-cancer-spread",
  "topic": "health",
  "section": "Health & Medicine",
  "published": "2026-08-05T10:14:38.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Newsweek",
    "slug": "newsweek",
    "url": "https://www.newsweek.com/scientists-warn-one-everyday-sugar-may-help-cancer-spread-12285696"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "A study published in Nature Aging found that ovarian cancer cells can release a common dietary sugar called fructose, which may contribute to the spread of cancer after chemotherapy treatment. Ovarian cancer affects about 21,010 women in the United States annually, with 12,450 projected deaths in 2026. The research, led by Dr. Katherine Aird at The Wistar Institute, discovered that surviving cancer cells produce fructose as a signal to encourage nearby cancer cells to spread. Dr. Aird noted that while high-fructose corn syrup is widely consumed in the U.S., fructose from whole fruits is less problematic due to fiber and other nutrients. The study suggests that limiting highly processed foods high in fructose and potentially using an existing diabetes drug to reduce fructose production by surviving cancer cells could be two possible treatment strategies. Additionally, the research raises questions about the potential of cholesterol-lowering statins in combination with chemotherapy for ovarian cancer patients.",
  "summary": "Study lead Katherine Aird told Newsweek that only \"high concentrations\" of the every day sugar would increase cancer spread.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}