A Pilot Study to Determine Fructose Uptake by Primary Human Colorectal Tumors

This proposed study is designed to investigate the specific uptake of fructose by human colorectal tumors. In this study, subjects with colorectal cancer undergoing surgery will receive an oral sugar solution containing fructose or xylose prior to surgery. The tumor will then be resected, and a portion of the tissue will be used to measure the abundance of fructose and xylose. The study hypothesis is that the tumors will take up fructose sugar but not xylose sugar. A comparison of the sugar uptake between the tumor and normal tissues from the adjacent intestinal epithelium and smooth muscle and the liver will be conducted. This proposal will confirm that human colorectal cancer tumors can directly absorb dietary sugars, which has never been demonstrated.