Eat better, breathe easier? Research points to link between diet, lung cancer

Ramon Sun, Ph.D., associate professor and director of the UF Center for Advanced Spatial Biomolecule Research, left, and collaborator Matthew Gentry, Ph.D., professor and chair of biochemistry and molecular biology in the UF College of Medicine. (Photo by Nate Guidry)

By Dorothy Hagmajer

Gainesville, Florida — For cancers of organs like the liver, the long-term impact of our diet has been well studied — so much so that we have guidance about red meat, wine and other delicacies.

A new study from researchers at University of Florida Health looks at another kind of organ whose cancer risk may be affected by poor diet: the lungs. The study was funded by several National Institutes of Health grants and a collaboration between the University of Kentucky's Markey Cancer Center and the UF Health Cancer Center.

“Lung cancer has not traditionally been thought of as a dietary-related disease,” said Ramon Sun, Ph.D., an associate professor and director of the UF Center for Advanced Spatial Biomolecule Research. “Diseases like pancreatic cancer or liver cancer, yes. However, when it comes to lung cancer, the idea that diet could play a role is rarely discussed.”

To the team’s knowledge, this is the first study of the association between lung cancer and poor diet at an NCI-designated cancer center, said study collaborator Matthew Gentry, Ph.D., a professor and chair of biochemistry and molecular biology at the UF College of Medicine.

The team used a high-content spatial metabolomics platform Sun created in 2020.

“This platform offered a new lens through which to visualize diseases, enabling researchers to discern previously undiscovered molecular patterns and interactions with striking detail and depth of insight,” Sun said. 

In the case of lung adenocarcinoma, the cancer that accounts for 40% of lung cancer diagnoses worldwide, the work built off Gentry and Sun’s 20-year study of an ultra-rare condition called Lafora disease.

The neurological disorder has a devastating trajectory. Patients develop seemingly normally for a decade, then present with epilepsy. Dementia ensues, and most patients die before they turn 25 years old.

The new study borrows from how Lafora unfolds, focusing on glycogen accumulation. This storage molecule, made up of glucose, or a simple sugar, has been found to accumulate in high levels across a variety of cancers and other diseases.

Through lab models and computer-guided models of glycogen stores in the lung, the researchers showed that in lung cancer, glycogen acts as an oncogenic metabolite, akin to a “giant lollipop for cancer’s sweet tooth.”

The more glycogen in the cancer cells, the bigger and worse the tumor growth. When scientists fed mice a high-fat, high-fructose “Western diet” that supported more glycogen in the blood, lung tumors grew. When glycogen levels decreased, tumor growth did, too. 

In short: The typical Western diet increases glycogen levels and glycogen feeds lung cancer tumors by providing their building blocks for growth. Glycogen is an “exceptionally good predictor” of tumor growth and death in lung cancer patients, Sun said.

Although it’s one of the first instances of lung cancer being linked to diet, it is far from the first time nutrition has been a focal point in cancer prevention and intervention.

“In the long term, our approach to cancer prevention should mirror the success of the anti-smoking campaign — placing greater emphasis on public awareness and policy-driven strategies that promote healthier dietary choices as a fundamental component of disease prevention,” Sun said.

Another benefit of focusing on glycogen is the variety of treatment options available. Currently, three types of drugs target glycogen levels, Gentry said, and all were developed studying Lafora disease.

His takeaway is one you’ve likely heard across a dinner table.

“Prioritizing a nutrient-rich diet, maintaining an active lifestyle and minimizing alcohol intake are foundational strategies for long-term health,” Gentry said. “Fostering better dietary habits can be a powerful tool in lung cancer prevention.”