A novel ketogenic diet regimen is a promising support therapy for patients with cancer
A group of researchers in a joint research project of Osaka University, Meiji Holdings Co., Ltd. (Tokyo, Japan), and The Nisshin OilliO Group, Ltd. (Tokyo, Japan), led by HAGIHARA Keisuke (Specially Appointed Professor of the Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka University) has been engaged in clinical research and basic research to formulate evidence to establish a ketogenic diet regimen effective for treating cancer.
Recent studies show that a ketogenic diet, which primarily consists of high fats and very low carbohydrates, is expected to be an effective support therapy for patients with cancer, but the degree and duration of carbohydrate restriction are unclear.
This group developed a new ketogenic diet regimen effective in treating cancer and performed clinical studies in patients with various types of stage IV cancer. In these studies, promising results were obtained by a new ketogenic diet regimen using medium-chain triglyceride (MCT) oil and ketogenic formula. (Both of them were provided as gifts from Nisshin Oillio and Meiji Co. Ltd., respectively.)
This group’s ketogenic diet regimen had an effect on long-term survival of advanced cancer patients. A total of 55 patients participated in the study and data from 37 patients administered the ketogenic diet for three months were analyzed, but no severe adverse events associated with the diet were observed.
Five patients showed a partial response on positron emission tomography–computed tomography (PET-CT) three months after the initiation of the therapy. Three and seven patients showed complete and partial responses, respectively, at one year. Median survival was 32.2 (maximum: 80.1) months, and the three-year survival rate was 44.5%.
After three months on the ketogenic diet, the serum Alb, BS, and CRP (ABC) score were used to stratify the patients into groups with significantly different survival rates.
The ketogenic diet regimen developed by this group can be a promising support therapy for patients with different types of advanced cancer.
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The article, “Promising Effect of a New Ketogenic Diet Regimen in Patients with Advanced Cancer”, was published in Nutrients at DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/nu12051473.
Related links
Department of Advanced Hybrid Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka University (link in Japanese)
