Sugar supplement slows tumour growth and can improve cancer treatment

Mannose sugar, a nutritional supplement, can both slow tumour growth and enhance the effects of chemotherapy in mice with multiple types of cancer. This lab study is a step towards understanding how mannose could be used to help treat cancer. The results of the study today (Wednesday). Tumours use more glucose than normal, healthy tissues. However, it is very hard to control the amount of glucose in your body through diet alone. In this study, the researchers found that mannose can interfere with glucose to reduce how much sugar cancer cells can use*. Professor Kevin Ryan, lead author from the Cancer Research UK Beatson Institute, University of Glasgow, said: "Tumours need a lot of glucose to grow, so limiting the amount they can use should slow cancer progression.