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- Title
Therapeutic fasting reduces adverse effects of cancer treatments.
- Authors
Thomsen, Michael
- Abstract
Introduction: Cancer cells do not respond to the protective signals generated by fasting, leaving them vulnerable to both the immune system and cancer treatment. Methods: PubMed was searched using terms such as intermittent, periodic, water-only, short-term fasting, and cancer Results: The search identified 1 RCT, 3 case reports, 1 retrospective, and 4 pilot studies. Participants fasted on water-only or used the Fasting Mimicking Diet (FMD) diet for 2-5 days around chemotherapy. Fasting was associated with greater tolerance to chemotherapy, better QoL, and less fatigue, weakness, and GIT symptoms. Fasting was well tolerated and reduced haematological toxicity with faster recovery of DNA damage in peripheral blood mononuclear cells after chemotherapy. The FMD significantly curtailed chemotherapy-induced DNA damage in T-lymphocytes. Weight loss was rapidly recovered with no evidence of malnutrition. Breast cancer survivors who fasted for least 13 hours overnight had a 36% reduction in the risk of recurrence and were 21% less likely to experience breast cancer related mortality. Fasting to prevent chemotherapy-induced tumour shrinkage. The RCT found that a 90-100% tumour-cell loss was more likely to occur in patients using the FMD. Conclusion: Fasting or FMD increase resistance to chemotherapy in normal but not cancer cells and promote regeneration in normal tissues, which could help prevent detrimental and potentially life-threatening side effects of cancer treatments. Fasting for up to five days may reduce side effects from treatment, without causing chronic weight loss or interfering with the therapeutic effect of treatment. Fasting may even enhance the effects of chemotherapy.
- Subjects
TUMOR treatment; CANCER chemotherapy; CONFERENCES &; conventions; PREPROCEDURAL fasting
- Publication
Australian Journal of Herbal & Naturopathic Medicine, 2021, Vol 33, Issue 1, p25
- ISSN
2209-119X
- Publication type
Article