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Ovarian Cancer (Expert Forum)
Does sugar affect ovarian cancer cells?
Answered by
Annekathryn Goodman, M.D. - Gynecologic Cancers, Complex Gynecologic, Surgeries, Palliative Care, Acupuncture
Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center
Boston - MA
This forum is for questions and support regarding ovarian cancer issues, such as: Biopsy, Chemotherapy, Clinical Trials, Genetics, Hysterectomy,Immunotherapy, Ovarian Cancer Types, Radiation Therapy, Risk Factors, Screening, Staging, Surgery.
Doctor's Answer
by Annekathryn Goodman, M.D., Nov 16, 2006 12:00AM
, Nov 16, 2006 12:00AM
ah, if only it were so simple....
While there is a notion in the macrobiotic world that sugar may be associated with cancer, this has not been shown in a scientific way. There is definitely more of a linkage of red meat meat, cured and smoked meats and fish, and tobacco use with certain cancers.
I have pasted Dr Cramer's study below where he notes no association with dietary consumption and milk product but notes that women with ovarian cancer have a higher incidence of a certain mutations of the digestive enzyme for lactose. What does this mean? We really do not know. It could be that women with a genetic predisposition to ovarian cancer also have other genetic changes for other functions, or it could be related somehow.
A Case-Control Study of Galactose Consumption and Metabolism in Relation to Ovarian Cancer1
Daniel W. Cramer2, E. Robert Greenberg, Linda Titus-Ernstoff, Rebecca F. Liberman, William R. Welch, Evelyn Li and Won G. Ng
Ob-Gyn Epidemiology Center, Departments of Obstetrics and Gynecology [D. W. C., R. F. L., E. L.], and Pathology [W. R. W.], Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts 02115; Norris Cotton Cancer Center, Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center, Lebanon, New Hampshire 03756 [E. R. G., L. T-E.]; and Biochemical Genetics Laboratory, Children’s Hospital of Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California 90027 [W. G. N.]
Consumption or metabolism of dairy sugar and ovarian cancer have been linked based on evidence that galactose may be toxic to ovarian germ cells and that ovarian cancer is induced in animals by depletion of oocytes. We assessed consumption of dairy products and obtained blood for biochemical and molecular genetic assessment of galactose metabolism in 563 women with newly diagnosed epithelial ovarian cancer and 523 control women selected either by random digit dialing or through lists of residents in eastern Massachusetts and New Hampshire. We observed no significant differences between cases and controls in usual consumption of various types of dairy products or total daily lactose (the principal source of galactose in the diet); nor did we find that RBC activity of either galactose-1-phosphate uridyl transferase (GALT) or galactokinase differed. The mean (and SE) activity of uridine diphospho-galactose 4'-epimerase (in micromoles per hour per gram of hemoglobin) was, however, significantly lower (P < 0.005) in cases compared with controls, 20.32 (0.31) versus 21.64 (0.36). Ovarian cancer cases were also more likely to carry the N314D polymorphism of the GALT gene, generally predisposing to lower GALT activity. The difference was most evident for endometrioid and clear cell types of ovarian cancer, in which 3.9% of cases were found to be homozygous for N314D compared with 0.4% of controls, yielding an odds ratio and 95% confidence interval of 14.17 (2.62–76.60). We conclude that, whereas adult consumption of lactose carries no clear risk for the disease, certain genetic or biochemical features of galactose metabolism may influence disease risk for particular types of ovarian cancer.
While there is a notion in the macrobiotic world that sugar may be associated with cancer, this has not been shown in a scientific way. There is definitely more of a linkage of red meat meat, cured and smoked meats and fish, and tobacco use with certain cancers.
I have pasted Dr Cramer's study below where he notes no association with dietary consumption and milk product but notes that women with ovarian cancer have a higher incidence of a certain mutations of the digestive enzyme for lactose. What does this mean? We really do not know. It could be that women with a genetic predisposition to ovarian cancer also have other genetic changes for other functions, or it could be related somehow.
A Case-Control Study of Galactose Consumption and Metabolism in Relation to Ovarian Cancer1
Daniel W. Cramer2, E. Robert Greenberg, Linda Titus-Ernstoff, Rebecca F. Liberman, William R. Welch, Evelyn Li and Won G. Ng
Ob-Gyn Epidemiology Center, Departments of Obstetrics and Gynecology [D. W. C., R. F. L., E. L.], and Pathology [W. R. W.], Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts 02115; Norris Cotton Cancer Center, Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center, Lebanon, New Hampshire 03756 [E. R. G., L. T-E.]; and Biochemical Genetics Laboratory, Children’s Hospital of Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California 90027 [W. G. N.]
Consumption or metabolism of dairy sugar and ovarian cancer have been linked based on evidence that galactose may be toxic to ovarian germ cells and that ovarian cancer is induced in animals by depletion of oocytes. We assessed consumption of dairy products and obtained blood for biochemical and molecular genetic assessment of galactose metabolism in 563 women with newly diagnosed epithelial ovarian cancer and 523 control women selected either by random digit dialing or through lists of residents in eastern Massachusetts and New Hampshire. We observed no significant differences between cases and controls in usual consumption of various types of dairy products or total daily lactose (the principal source of galactose in the diet); nor did we find that RBC activity of either galactose-1-phosphate uridyl transferase (GALT) or galactokinase differed. The mean (and SE) activity of uridine diphospho-galactose 4'-epimerase (in micromoles per hour per gram of hemoglobin) was, however, significantly lower (P < 0.005) in cases compared with controls, 20.32 (0.31) versus 21.64 (0.36). Ovarian cancer cases were also more likely to carry the N314D polymorphism of the GALT gene, generally predisposing to lower GALT activity. The difference was most evident for endometrioid and clear cell types of ovarian cancer, in which 3.9% of cases were found to be homozygous for N314D compared with 0.4% of controls, yielding an odds ratio and 95% confidence interval of 14.17 (2.62–76.60). We conclude that, whereas adult consumption of lactose carries no clear risk for the disease, certain genetic or biochemical features of galactose metabolism may influence disease risk for particular types of ovarian cancer.
