Fructose Consumption and Hepatocellular Carcinoma Promotion

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) accounts for 85% of primary liver cancer, the third most common cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide. Its incidence has been increasing in both men and women. In Western countries, high-calorie diets, mainly rich in carbohydrates such as fructose, represent a significant concern due to their repercussions on the population’s health. A high-fructose diet is related to the development of Metabolic-Associated Fatty Liver Disease (MAFLD), formerly named Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD), and the progression of HCC as it potentiates the lipogenic pathway and the accumulation of lipids. However, fructose metabolism seems to be different between the stages of the disease, carrying out a metabolic reprogramming to favor the proliferation, inflammation, and metastatic properties of cancer cells in HCC. This review focuses on a better understanding of fructose metabolism in both scenarios: MAFLD and HCC.