New York Times: Does sugar feed cancer?

Cancer Center expert says you can't 'starve a tumor'

Stacy Shawhan, an oncology dietitian at the University of Cincinnati Cancer Center, told the New York Times she's heard many questions over the years from her cancer patients about how their diets influence their prognosis.

One question has come up more than the rest: Will consuming sugary foods and drinks feed my cancer cells, making my condition worse?

“Cancer patients are so vulnerable, and some of them are terrified to eat,” said Shawhan. “They think, ‘If I stop eating sugar, then I can starve my cancer.’”

While experts say that diets high in added sugars may increase your risk of cancer over a lifetime, cutting out all sugars doesn’t actually fight existing tumors.

Read the full New York Times story.

Featured photo: spoon of sugar.

Related Stories

1

6 ways starting a GLP-1 medication could affect your emotions

May 20, 2026

When patients first start taking a glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) medication, they probably expect to feel full. But they might not anticipate how it can influence their emotions. The medications act on the stomach and the brain, said Malti Vij, MD, a University of Cincinnati adjunct associate professor in the College of Medicine's Department of Internal Medicine and a diplomate of the American Board of Obesity Medicine.

3

$15 million bequest supports endowed chair at UC College of Medicine

May 19, 2026

As a student and resident at the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, George G. Bemis, Jr., MD, Med ’64, saw firsthand that medicine was more than a profession for those teaching and leading him. Inspired by their sense of calling, he knew he wanted to pursue the same path.