"Cancer Patients Undergoing Radiation Therapy Should Maintain Low Blood Sugar Levels for Higher Survival Rates"

Professor Gongmun Kyu's Research Paper from Kyung Hee University Hospital Department of Radiation Oncology

Professor Gongmun Kyu, Department of Radiation Oncology, Kyung Hee University Hospital.

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Young-won] A study has found that cancer patients who receive radiation therapy have higher survival rates when their blood sugar levels are low.

Professor Gong Moon-kyu of the Department of Radiation Oncology at Kyung Hee University Hospital announced on the 11th that he has revealed for the first time in the world the relationship between blood sugar levels and the effectiveness of radiation therapy. Professor Gong's research was published in the August issue of the SCI-level journal 'Thoracic Cancer.'

Professor Gong classified 54 small cell lung cancer patients into high and low blood sugar groups based on glycated hemoglobin levels, which reflect average blood sugar over three months. Analyzing survival rates after radiation therapy, the low blood sugar group showed lower recurrence rates and higher survival rates compared to the high blood sugar group. High blood sugar damages blood vessels within cancer tissues, impairing oxygen supply, and hypoxic cancer tissues develop resistance to radiation therapy.

This study is a follow-up to last year's research conducted on non-small cell lung cancer patients.

Professor Gong stated, "The importance of blood sugar management in cancer patients receiving radiation therapy has been confirmed not only in non-small cell lung cancer but also in small cell lung cancer patients," adding, "I hope that active blood sugar management will help maximize the effects of radiation therapy and aid in overcoming cancer."