Texas Researchers Link Sugar Consumption To Breast Cancer Tumors

Over the last year, researchers have noted some of the less sweet properties of sugar. It's been proven to have strong addictive qualities. Eaten in excess, it promotes obesity, which in turn is a risk factor for a host of diseases including diabetes, heart disease and certain cancers.

And now, there's this: dietary sugar - particularly the fructose that's found in high-fructose corn syrup - not only significantly increases the risk of breast cancer tumors, but also the risk of spreading those cancers to other organs, including the lungs.

The findings come from a newly released study by researchers at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center. Dr. Peiying Yang is assistant professor of palliative, rehabilitation and integrative medicine at MD Anderson. She joins Here & Now's Robin Young to discuss her findings, which are published this month in the online journal Cancer Research.