Big Cancer

BUFFALO, Sept. 3 (P), Sugar is "fuel' for cancer, and its regulation in diet essential for cancer treatment, the American Chemical society was told yesterday. The report came from the cancer research department of the University of Pennsylvania, from work done by Gladys E. Woodward and Edith G. Fry, under direction of Dr. Ellice McDonald. 

"In cancer," said Dr. McDonald, in explaining the technical report, "the essential difference between tumor tissue and normal tissue is the ability of cancer to digest the animal sugar (or glycogen) in a different and more expeditious way than normal. "The greater the amount of sugar there is in the blood of cancer patients, the shorter is the expectation of their lives. There is a greater growth of the cancer when there is a large amount of sugar in the blood. The tumor grows faster, and there are a greater number of dividing cells. Cancer patients with a low blood sugar respond well to treatment and have a better chance of survival, with slow growth of the tumor.

"The amount of the sugar in the blood of cancer patients should be periodically measured, particularly before and after any treatment, for if the blood sugar increases after any treatment of the tumor, this should be corrected before any further treatment is instituted, and any new treatment should be based on the results of the tests. 

"The general conclusion is that cancer patients, particularly those with a high level of blood sugar, should be put on a low carbohydrate diet which should contain little or no sugar."