PET Scans and sugar consumption

Have you ever wondered why a PET scan "glows" but you are allowed to eat sugar during treatment? Let me break it down for you.
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For a PET scan, patients are injected with a radioactively marked sugar which goes to our cells that consume the most sugar. Tumor cells consume 20-30x more sugar than healthy cells which is how we see the tumor “glow.”
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Cancer cells consume more sugar because they are rapidly dividing cells that need energy to do so.
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However, sugar, or glucose, fuels all of our body’s cells including both healthy and cancer cells.​
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There is no way to let your healthy cells have the glucose they need to survive while starving cancer cells. Your body will actually make sugar from other sources like fat and protein. Your cancer cells will find a way to "eat" regardless.
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​It’s not necessary to completely avoid sugar and carbs. However, it can be appropriate, if you have a good appetite and are able to eat normally, to reduce foods with added sugar, like fruit juice, candies, cake, etc. and focus on consuming nutrient dense, high-fiber carbs, like fruits, veggies, & whole grains.
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But you can still eat sweet treats in moderation! There’s no evidence that shows eating sugar makes cancer worse or that avoiding sugar makes cancer better or disappear.
So don't fear sugar!
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By the way, it's important to note: if you are struggling with your appetite, intake, and are unintentionally losing weight, it is better that you eat anything that sounds good and try to keep the weight on!

Author: Tuesday Hoelscher, RDN