LAUSR

Purpose of Review High-sugar diets have been hypothesized to promote colorectal cancer development and progression by contributing to hyperinsulinemia and insulin resistance or through other mechanisms. This review summarizes the available evidence for sugar intake related to colorectal cancer (CRC) risk and survival and discusses future research directions. Recent Findings Most of the prospective studies report a null association between sugar intake and CRC risk; the evidence based on ten publications, including a pooling project of 13 studies, is reasonably robust. In contrast, a relatively small number of studies examining sugar intake and CRC survival suggest that consumption of sugars, particularly sugar-sweetened beverages, may negatively impact survival outcomes among CRC patients. Summary Excessive sugar intake may contribute to worse CRC survival. To date, studies do not show a clear association between total sugar intake and CRC risk, but further work is required to isolate effects of added sugar, define risk for potentially susceptible subgroups, and explore interactions with other dietary and lifestyle factors.