fasting kills cancer

Introduction

Fasting and fasting-mimicking diets (FMDs) have garnered significant interest in cancer research due to their potential to enhance the efficacy of cancer treatments and reduce side effects. This synthesis explores the current understanding of how fasting impacts cancer cells and treatment outcomes.

Key Insights

Enhanced Chemotherapy Efficacy and Reduced Side Effects:
- Fasting and FMDs can improve the response of tumor cells to chemotherapy while protecting normal cells from its toxic effects .
- These dietary interventions can lead to increased DNA repair in normal tissues, upregulation of autophagy, and heightened sensitivity of cancer cells to apoptotic stimuli .
Immune System Modulation:
- Fasting combined with chemotherapy can enhance the immune system's ability to target cancer cells by increasing cytotoxic CD8(+) tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes and reducing regulatory T cells .
Metabolic and Hormonal Changes:
- Fasting induces significant reductions in glucose, insulin, and insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) levels, creating an environment that is less favorable for cancer cell survival and proliferation .
- These changes force cancer cells to rely on limited metabolites, leading to cell death.
Clinical Feasibility and Safety:
- Cycles of low-calorie FMDs are generally feasible and safe for patients, with ongoing clinical trials evaluating their impact on treatment outcomes and side effects .
- Preliminary human studies suggest that fasting can improve the quality of life and reduce fatigue in patients undergoing chemotherapy.
Mixed Results in Specific Cancer Types:
- In a mouse model of prostate cancer, intermittent fasting did not significantly improve survival or delay tumor growth, indicating that the effectiveness of fasting may vary depending on the cancer type and metabolic adaptations.

Conclusion

Fasting and fasting-mimicking diets show promise in enhancing the efficacy of cancer treatments and reducing their side effects by modulating metabolic and immune responses. While preclinical studies and some human trials are encouraging, more extensive clinical research is needed to confirm these benefits and optimize fasting protocols for different cancer types.

Fasting kills cancer

Summary

Introduction

Key Insights

Conclusion

Sources and full results

Fasting and cancer: molecular mechanisms and clinical application

Fasting or fasting-mimicking diets combined with chemotherapy, immunotherapy, or other treatments may improve treatment efficacy, prevent resistance acquisition, and reduce side effects.

A review of fasting effects on the response of cancer to chemotherapy.

Fasting may improve tumor cell responsiveness to chemotherapy by reducing tumor progression and increasing chemotherapy effectiveness.

Fasting-Mimicking Diet Reduces HO-1 to Promote T Cell-Mediated Tumor Cytotoxicity.

A fasting-mimicking diet combined with chemotherapy can enhance T cell-dependent targeted killing of cancer cells, leading to a major delay in breast cancer and melanoma progression.

Effect of intermittent fasting on prostate cancer tumor growth in a mouse model

Intermittent fasting did not improve mouse survival or delay prostate tumor growth in a mouse model, possibly due to metabolic adaptations to 24 hour fasting periods.

Fasting vs dietary restriction in cellular protection and cancer treatment: from model organisms to patients

Fasting for up to 5 days may protect cancer patients against chemotherapy without causing chronic weight loss, offering a potential alternative to dietary restriction in cancer treatment.

Effect of fasting on cancer: A narrative review of scientific evidence

Fasting may promote cancer-free survival, treatment efficacy, and reduce side effects when combined with conventional therapies.

Starvation, Stress Resistance, and Cancer

Fasting and fasting-mimicking diets have differential effects on normal and malignant cells, potentially leading to cell death by reducing IGF-1, insulin, glucose, and ketone bodies.

When Fasting Gets Tough, the Tough Immune Cells Get Going—or Die

Fasting and severe calorie restriction can reduce autoimmunity and activate lymphocyte-dependent cancer cell killing, but the mechanisms responsible for these effects remain poorly understood.

Diet and Chemotherapy: The Effects of Fasting and Ketogenic Diet on Cancer Treatment

Fasting and a ketogenic diet can reduce collateral effects of chemotherapy and improve quality of life in cancer patients, but further human studies are needed to confirm these findings.

Fasting and fasting-mimicking diets for chemotherapy augmentation

Prolonged fasting and fasting-mimicking diets show promise in enhancing chemotherapy treatment and improving cancer-free survival rates in cancer patients and survivors.

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