New Study Links High Fructose Intake to Faster Ovarian Cancer Progression - Video

Researchers have discovered an unexpected way that fructose, a common dietary sugar, may promote the spread of ovarian cancer, particularly after chemotherapy. The study, published in Nature Aging, suggests that fructose acts as a signaling molecule released by chemotherapy-surviving cancer cells, helping neighboring tumor cells become more invasive.

Scientists at The Wistar Institute focused on ovarian cancer, which is commonly treated with platinum-based chemotherapy. Although many patients initially respond well, the disease frequently returns and spreads within the abdominal cavity, where metastasis causes about 90% of ovarian cancer deaths.

The researchers found that some cancer cells survive chemotherapy without continuing to divide. Instead, these cells remain biologically active and release signaling molecules that influence nearby cancer cells.

In laboratory and preclinical experiments, the team collected substances released by chemotherapy-resistant cells and showed that these molecules alone—not the surviving cells themselves—were enough to significantly increase cancer spread.

Further analysis identified fructose as a key signaling molecule responsible for this effect. Surprisingly, the researchers also found that high dietary fructose intake, similar to levels found in sugary drinks, could promote cancer cell spread even without chemotherapy.

The team then investigated how fructose increases metastasis. They discovered that fructose suppresses cholesterol production inside neighboring cancer cells. Because cholesterol helps cells remain attached to one another, reduced cholesterol weakens this cellular "glue," allowing cancer cells to detach more easily and spread.

The researchers also observed that statins, widely used cholesterol-lowering medications, produced a similar reduction in cell adhesion. While the findings raise questions about whether statins could influence chemotherapy responses, the researchers stress that patients should not stop taking prescribed statins, as the results have not yet been confirmed in clinical studies.

Although the research focused on ovarian cancer, the scientists believe the same mechanism could potentially apply to other abdominal cancers, including pancreatic, liver, and colorectal cancers.

REFERENCE: Cole, A. R., et al. (2026). The chemotherapy-induced senescence-associated secretome promotes cell detachment and metastatic dissemination through metabolic reprogramming. Nature Aging. DOI: 10.1038/s43587-026-01172-5.