When a friend pointed her toward research into the possible therapeutic effects of fasting in combination with chemotherapy to treat cancer, she was intrigued. Additional research turned up several studies suggesting that fasting before chemo might alleviate common side effects like nausea and vomiting. There’s also a growing body of research into whether fasting could have a beneficial effect against the cancer itself. (Ketogenic diets are also being investigated for similar effects on cancer cells.)…
Having noted cancer cells’ proclivity for glucose, Warburg hypothesized that removing the source of the fuel might help prevent the growth and spread of cancer cells. “The cancer cells are usually dependent on much more glucose than [normal cells], [so] by decreasing the glucose [present in the body] you can generate problems” for the cancer cells…
Nevertheless, Longo says the research so far has been encouraging that periodic fasting or fasting-mimicking diet techniques could become a tool in the arsenal to fight a variety of cancers. “The mouse studies are very clear, starting in my lab, and multiple labs confirm it, that fasting or at least fasting-mimicking diets increase the protection against the chemotherapy and at the same time they may kill off the cancer cells….”
... “I always say, ‘there’s excellent preclinical data that shows maybe fasting can have some benefits in improving tolerance to chemotherapy and reducing side effects, but that the data we have in humans is very limited….”
The effects of short-term fasting on quality of life and tolerance to chemotherapy in patients with breast and ovarian cancer: a randomized cross-over pilot study
“Discussion- This is the first clinical study to explore the effects of STF on QOL, fatigue and wellbeing during chemotherapy. Experimentally, STF has been documented to induce profound changes in gene expression and cellular metabolism that render normal cells more resistant to oxidative stress and thus may confer benefit in the situation of cancer treatment by chemotherapy [11]…
Our results confirm the feasibility and tolerability of STF accompanying chemotherapy and extend on these findings by indicating a potential beneficial effect on QOL, fatigue and well-being during cancer treatment. As QOL is an increasingly appreciated treatment outcome the present results appear to be of clinical relevance…”
Fasting and cancer treatment in humans: A case series report
“Short-term fasting (48 hours) was shown to be effective in protecting normal cells and mice but not cancer cells against high dose chemotherapy, termed Differential Stress Resistance (DSR), but the feasibility and effect of fasting in cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy is unknown…
None of these patients, who received an average of 4 cycles of various chemotherapy drugs in combination with fasting, reported significant side effects caused by the fasting itself other than hunger and lightheadedness…
The six patients who underwent chemotherapy with or without fasting reported a reduction in fatigue, weakness, and gastrointestinal side effects while fasting. In those patients whose cancer progression could be assessed, fasting did not prevent the chemotherapy-induced reduction of tumor volume or tumor markers.
Although the 10 cases presented here suggest that fasting in combination with chemotherapy is feasible, safe, and has the potential to ameliorate side effects caused by chemotherapies, they are not meant to establish practice guidelines for patients undergoing chemotherapy.”