http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-42976851

Food may influence cancer spread
By James Gallagher Health and science correspondent, BBC News

here is mounting evidence the food on your plate can alter cancer's growth and spread, say Cambridge scientists.

Animal research, published in the journal Nature, showed breast tumours struggled without the dietary nutrient asparagine.

It is found in the foodies' favourite asparagus, as well as poultry, seafood and many other foods.

In the future, scientists hope to take advantage of cancer's "culinary addictions" to improve treatment.

Asparagine is an amino acid - a building block of protein - and takes its name from asparagus.

Spread

The study, conducted at the Cancer Research UK Cambridge Institute, took place on mice with an aggressive form of breast cancer.

Normally they would die in a couple of weeks as the tumour spread throughout the body.

But when the mice were given a low-asparagine diet or drugs to block asparagine then the tumour struggled to spread.