keto diet can accelerate some cancers?

[slacker]

I often listen to podcasts during my work commute, and was recently listening to Peter Attia’s conversation with Siddhartha Mukherjee, oncology researcher. When I’m driving, my attention is not 100% on the podcast, but my ears pricked up with the statement from Dr M that ketogenic diets can accelerate some cancers, including leukemia. This was observed while performing an experiment with mice using a cancer drug with and without a ketogenic diet, and with ketogenic diet alone. The ketogenic diet alone mice got worse. The article is behind a pay wall, so I don’t have much detail. Here are some links if you want to do some more digging. Obviously results from mice studies aren’t always repeatable in humans, but still of interest.

Quote from the webinar transcript:
"The study also demonstrates that some cancer models, including leukemia, are accelerated on the keto diet. In fact, we have a big follow-up study to try to figure out why some cancers are accelerated by keto alone but when you combine it with the drug it actually goes back down to a deep remission.”

Overview of study (with short sentance about leukemia and accelerated cancers): https://news.weill.cornell.edu/news/201 ... er-therapy

Abstract of study: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-018-0343-4
(no mention of cancer - keto diet acceleration)

[Julie G]

Yes, I was also surprised to learn that while most tumors are fueled by glucose, some are fueled by fatty acids. It’s critically important to consult an oncologist before embarking on the usage of any diet to “treat” cancer.

[slacker]

Yes, I was also surprised to learn that while most tumors are fueled by glucose, some are fueled by fatty acids. It’s critically important to consult an oncologist before embarking on the usage of any diet to “treat” cancer.

Unfortunately, most oncologists will not be aware of the research on diet and cancer, neither the pros or the cons. The information I posted in this topic was buried in the weeds, not part of the abstract. Possibly not found on pubmed search for leukemia and keto, for example. And of course a mouse study, not humans yet. Really tricky business. We are all on the leading edge.

[mike]

It was my understanding from extended fasting research on treating cancer, that only certain cancers will shrink with fasting (high ketones, low glucose). In this podcast, however, Attia interviews Thomas Seyfried, who claims all cancers result from mitochondrial problems.

https://peterattiamd.com/tomseyfried/

[Julie G]

Unfortunately, most oncologists will not be aware of the research on diet and cancer, neither the pros or the cons. The information I posted in this topic was buried in the weeds, not part of the abstract. Possibly not found on pubmed search for leukemia and keto, for example. And of course a mouse study, not humans yet. Really tricky business. We are all on the leading edge.

Good point, slacker. I know a few folks using keto as an adjunct cancer treatment, but they are working with cutting edge oncology teams that have identified their particular cancer's preferred fuel and have approved the addition of nutritional ketosis. Tricky business for sure.

[TheresaB]

Unfortunately due to a family member who is dealing with cancer, I've done some reading on this. Some notes--

Dr Nasha Winters, co-author of The Metabolic Approach to Cancer advocates a ketogenic diet as a very strong, but not standalone strategy to dealing with cancer, she wrote "All cancers except prostate, mucinous adenoma of colon, bronchoalveolar lung cancer, and thyroid cancer are highly glucose dependent."

In the interview between Peter Attia and Thomas Seyfried, PhD, mentioned above by Mike, Dr Seyfried not only emphasizes ketosis but also a pulsed glutamine inhibition regimen since cancer can also use glutamine as a fuel, so he attacks it from both angles. There are prescription drugs involved, this approach is not standard of care, and asking your doctor to prescribe anything that is not standard of care is practically impossible, so good luck with that. Anyway, if interested in more of that, in addition to the Attia-Seyfried interview, Management of Glioblastoma Multiforme in a Patient Treated With Ketogenic Metabolic Therapy and Modified Standard of Care: A 24-Month Follow-Up

In this presentation, Carbohydrate Restriction in Cancer Therapy Dr Dawn Lemanne identified certain cancers that are etiologically unrelated to diet (as far as is known):
•Pediatric cancers
•CML—single chromosomal alteration
•Sarcomas
•HPV-related cancers: cervical, anal, vulvar, penile, throat, tongue
•EBV-related cancers: Hodgkin and non-Hodgkin lymphomas
•Acute leukemias
•Testicular
However she went on to say this doesn't mean diet isn’t important after tumors discovered.

Here's another presentation by Dr Lemanne, The Roles of Intermittent Fasting and Carbohydrates in Cancer Therapy She's less "evangelical" than Dr Seyfried and Dr Nasha but nevertheless presents some very interesting information from cancer research, including some human, not mice, studies. In this presentation she identifies additional fuels that cancer can use which indicates to me that the ketosis and glutamine inhibition approach advocated by Dr Seyfreid may not be enough, at least for certain cancers. Still much to learn, I guess.

Personally (and I'm not a medical professional) I think for most cancers ketosis is a good thing. Healthy cells have metabolic flexibility to switch from glucose to ketones, cancer cells cannot do that. Ketosis, particularly deep ketosis, not the mild ketosis Dr Bredesen recommends, cuts off the cancer cells primary source for energy and growth. It puts the cells in metabolic stress and enhances standard cancer treatments. There are other benefits too. From Dr Nasha's book (it's a good read, meshes well with Dr Bredesen):

• •reduces angiogenesis (blood vessel growth that fuels cancer)
  •restores normal apoptosis (cell suicide) of cancer cells
  •destabilizes tumor tissue DNA
  •reduces tumor size
  •reduces level of insulin and IGF-1
  •enhances cancer treatments - chemotherapy and radiation while reducing common side effects

This study, Prolonged Nightly Fasting and Breast Cancer Prognosis found that consuming food earlier in the day and only during an 11-hour window (with a 13 hour overnight fasting period), can decrease breast cancer risk and recurrence by as much as 36%! This Dr Rhonda Patrick interview with Dr Ruth Patterson, one of the authors of that study, is fascinating. Ruth Patterson, Ph.D. on Time-Restricted Eating in Humans & Breast Cancer Prevention

One of the reasons I do my annual 7 day fast is as an anti-cancer measure to get my Glucose-Ketone Index down below 1, Dr Seyfried's preferred level for cancer patients.

So, thank you Slacker for sharing this, very interesting, I just don't want anyone to overreact and think ketosis should be avoided. My personal opinion is in evaluating the risk-reward factor of utilizing ketosis for addressing or preventing cancer, ketosis is more advantageous than disadvantageous.

[NewRon]

Isn't Dr Valter Longo doing similar research around his ProLon diet, re chemo?

[NewRon]

https://www.l-nutra.com/chemolieve/

[NeverMind]

I could recommend World Cancer Research Fund's recent report. It is based on the worlds largest body of data and scientific research regarding the relationship diet (and other living conditions) — cancer. WCRF is mainly concerned with prevention, but the recommendations certainly has some impact on people who have or have had cancer: https://www.wcrf.org/int/continuous-update-project

[Lucy5]

Hi NeverMind and welcome!

Nevermind wrote: I could recommend World Cancer Research Fund's recent report. It is based on the worlds largest body of data and scientific research regarding the relationship diet (and other living conditions) — cancer. WCRF is mainly concerned with prevention, but the recommendations certainly has some impact on people who have or have had cancer: https://www.wcrf.org/int/continuous-update-project

Thank you for posting the link to the WCRF site - looks like a great deal of interesting information to be found there! Cancer has certainly taken a huge toll on my extended family, so I will definitely plan to dig into the site as time permits.

Nevermind, as a new member we recommend our site Primer as an excellent way to learn more about this ApoE4 gene of ours. It was written by Stavia, a member practicing physician, and is a wonderful resource with prioritized lifestyle strategies aimed at mitigating the negative effects of this gene. Our Wiki offers additional information on topics of interest to our members. You may also find our How-To-Guide
helpful with lots of tips to navigate our site more easily and effectively. Should you at some point want to share a bit about yourself and what brought you here, the Our Stories forum is a great place to post.

In the meantime, welcome again to our community! Looking forward to hearing more from you on the forums...warmly, Lucy