That was something I'd not come across, so I did some Googling and found this site - 

www.insideradiology.com.au/.../view.php

"The radioactive substance most commonly used in PET scanning is a simple sugar (like glucose) called FDG, which stands for “fluorodeoxyglucose”. It is injected into your bloodstream and accumulates in your body where it gives off energy in the form of gamma rays. These are detected by the PET scanner and a computer converts the signals into detailed pictures or images showing how tissue and organs are working. If you are having an FDG PET, your sugar metabolism (how sugar is used by your body) is imaged. This is commonly used for cancer imaging as tumours need sugar to grow."

In case anyone misreads this and imagines that sugars feed cancer, I also found this statement "The idea that sugar could directly fuel the growth of cancer cells can lead some people to avoid all carbohydrate-containing foods. This is counter-productive for anyone struggling to maintain their weight while dealing with side effects of cancer and treatments. More importantly, the inevitable anxiety of trying to completely avoid “all sugar” creates stress. Stress turns on the fight or flight mechanisms, increasing the production of hormones that can raise blood sugar levels and suppress immune function. Both of these things may reduce any possible benefit of eliminating sugar in the first place." www.oncologynutrition.org/.../

Cheers
Dave 

Thank you for that Dave.  It does seem that there is a little 'truth' in the sugar theory - but where do you stop for Heavens sake!  I have read that dairy products, sugar, saturated fats etc etc feeds or causes cancer - sedatory  lifestyle is another cause. Various foods, herbs, oils etc help prevent disease and allegedly so does putting coffee in places where coffee shouldnt be put!!

I really can't think it would be particularly joyful to be alive if we practiced these things (some may disagree regarding some things I have mentioned teehee!).  Everything in moderation as our parents used to say!

Take care and thanks again x

hi again anxious

To protect my teeth after damage from radiotherapy Ive been cutting sugar out of my diet. Started with obvious sources sugar in hot drinks, cake, biscuits, jam, honey, ice-cream, confectionery, fizzy pop. But have also been looking at the contents of everyday groceries and am astonished at how much sugar is added. Sometimes its not clear on the packaging but info is usually available online. I still have sweet stuff occasionally at mealtimes but overall have cut out most sugar. Taking 2tsp sugar in 8 cups of tea or coffee per day gives means consuming of 29 Kg or 64 pounds of sugar per year. Kim

There is recent study on cancer and sugar, made quite a noise, but does not answer the question of sugar and cancer directly  anyway, cutting on white and brown sugar consumption is a good idea in most cases :)

I agree with your closing sentence.

The article itself is misleading and badly written. For example, it states that until now no cause of cancer has been found and correctly lists several activities which increase the risk of developing cancer.

Dozens, if not hundreds, of causes of cancer have been identified over the years. For example "using tobacco products" has been proven to cause some cancers, rather than to increase the risk as stated in the article. The wording used in the article reflects the bullsh1t pedalled by the tobacco industry and its apologists for decades. The first correlation between smoking and cancer was identified in the 1950s and the first formal public health warnings appeared in the 1960s. A causal link was established in the 1990s - www.nytimes.com/.../direct-link-found-between-smoking-and-lung-cancer.html 

Other causes of cancer include exposure to ionising radiation, certain chemicals including carbon tetra chloride which was widely used as a solvent and a cleaner in the 1960s and 1970s the list goes on and on. Being overweight or obese does increase the cancer risk and excess sugar and fat in a diet can cause obesity and in turn increase the cancer risk. So reducing sugar is definitely a good thing, but I don't need to order a "free" book from a website to know that :-)

Best wishes

Dave

I don't think it can hurt to reduce refined sugars and starches. It was the main thrust of my diet after my diagnosis with metastatic breast cancer in 2011 (throughout both lungs and liver). I was not expected to live very long. But I am still here 7 years on. I have cut out the majority of refined foods from my diet. But I still eat so well that I'm struggling not to put on weight again!

I have also demanded all and every medical treatment for my disease. So...who knows?? Perhaps my longevity is simply the placebo effect, as I truly believe in what I'm doing?!  But I won't change my regime now ever cos I'm not dead yet!

It is indeed very interesting. But I would also say that the medical treatments (and my brilliant medical team) are most probably the major contributor to why I'm still alive today :) Hope my answer helps :)

Hi anxious,

Your cancer is incurable, as is mine. So it's all about quality of life and finding and taking that quality as and when you can. Ignore special diets. Ignore 'healthy' diets. Eat what makes you content and be glad that you can eat at all, for depending on your treatment, you may lose your appetite  or ability to eat, completely.

Best Regards

Taff

I agree with Taff in as much as eating things we like is good for us. But does that have to include refined sugars and starches? We can get all the carbs we need from really good, enjoyable, quality food, can't we? Does it necessarily follow that healthy food isn't as enjoyable as refined food?

And gentle exercise, only as much as I feel comfortable doing, can be such a pleasure on sunny days like today!

Two drawbacks I find 1) it's more expensive and, living with terminal cancer is difficult enough on a lower budget without adding more expenses (that is an argument for another day) 2) cutting things from a diet needs careful planning in order to make sure a body is getting everything it needs, and seeking approval of the medical team is also essential as some dietary things (like Turmeric) are known to interact with medications. Having said this, I feel that changing my diet has definitely been worthwhile in my case; it gave me hope and focus when I was struggling with actively growing tumours, and I'm sure I am healthier for it now.

I am aware of all sorts of nightmare scenarios about my cancer. I was told (because I demanded to know) of many things which, as yet, have not come true. I used to jump immediately to the worst scenarios in my mind and play them over and over (and I still do some days). At the start of my journey with "terminal cancer" I wasted months of my life worrying about the "what ifs", my mind kept jumping to death scenarios. But now, 7 years on, I am learning to live each day as it comes and to plan for the future anyway cos perhaps, just perhaps, I might still be here! ;)

I have realised that I am still a valid, valuable person and that I still deserve to take care of me, however long I have left to live. So why not a healthy lifestyle?

Not being qualified I won't give advice, I can only tell my own story. Everyone is different and approaches things in their own way and that is how it should be.

I attach a picture of me in the snowdrops last week to show how much there is to enjoy in life even without refined sugar. The snowdrops were fabulous!

So... refined sugar or not? It's entirely up to the individual.

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