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Diet, disease, Health, Public health

Can the Ketogenic Diet Be a Breakthrough in Halting Neuroendocrine Tumor Progression?

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Neuroendocrine tumors (NETs) have been on the rise in recent years, and among them, pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors (PanNETs) pose a significant health concern. However, a recent Cell Death and Disease study offers hope in the fight against these tumors. This groundbreaking research explores the effects of a ketogenic dietary intervention on the onset and progression of PanNETs, shedding light on a potential therapeutic approach.

Pancreatic Neuroendocrine Tumors: A Growing Concern
PanNETs, a subtype of NETs, are rare but have become increasingly prevalent. These tumors originate from pancreatic islet cells and can be functional or non-functional. While functional PanNETs produce hormones that lead to hormone syndromes, non-functional PanNETs, which comprise most cases, do not exhibit these characteristics.

The progression of PanNETs often involves the development of liver metastases, making them challenging to treat. Traditional treatments have shown limited success in shrinking these tumors, emphasizing the need for innovative interventions.

Understanding the Role of Insulin
The study draws attention to the role of insulin in PanNET development. Both human and mouse models have revealed a connection between elevated insulin levels and increased tumor growth. Conversely, reducing insulin levels has been associated with decreased tumor development.

Enter the Ketogenic Diet
The ketogenic diet, known for its low carbohydrate and high-fat composition, has gained recognition for its potential health benefits. In the context of cancer, previous research has suggested that a ketogenic diet can lower insulin levels without adverse effects.

In this study, researchers fed a ketogenic diet to mice with non-functional PanNETs using a Pancreatic β-cell-specific Men1 deficient mouse model. The results were promising.

Ketogenic Diet: A Game Changer
The findings demonstrated that a ketogenic diet could significantly suppress the onset and progression of non-functional PanNETs in the mouse model. What is more, this dietary intervention also had a positive impact on pituitary NET development in the mice.

The Implications for Human PanNET Patients
These results open up exciting possibilities for PanNET patients. High blood glucose levels have been associated with poorer outcomes in PanNET patients, especially those undergoing chemotherapy. Metformin, a blood sugar-reducing drug, has shown promise in improving chemotherapy effects for PanNET patients.

Therefore, reducing blood glucose levels through a ketogenic diet could enhance the prognosis for human PanNET patients. This treatment approach also holds promise for other cancers that rely on the insulin-regulated PI3K-Akt-mTOR pathway.

In conclusion, this study offers hope in the battle against PanNETs and potentially other NETs. The ketogenic diet’s ability to suppress tumor progression in a mouse model suggests a novel therapeutic intervention that could benefit patients in the future. Further research is needed, but this study paves the way for innovative approaches to combating neuroendocrine tumors.

Using the ketogenic diet as a therapeutic intervention for PanNETs may have potential side effects. However, it is essential to note that this research is still in its early stages, and further human studies are needed to understand the risks thoroughly. Some potential side effects of the ketogenic diet may include:

  1. Keto Flu: When transitioning to a ketogenic diet, some people experience “keto flu” symptoms, including fatigue, headaches, nausea, and dizziness.
  2. Nutritional Deficiencies: A restrictive diet may lead to nutritional deficiencies, especially if not carefully planned. Monitoring vitamin and mineral intake is crucial.
  3. Gastrointestinal Issues: Constipation and diarrhea can occur due to changes in dietary fiber and fat consumption.
  4. Liver and Kidney Function: There are concerns about how the diet may affect liver and kidney function, as they play a role in metabolizing ketone bodies.
  5. Increased Cholesterol Levels: Some individuals may experience increased cholesterol levels when on a high-fat diet, which could pose cardiovascular risks.
  6. Bone Health: The ketogenic diet may impact bone health due to its potential for calcium loss.

Regarding the use of Metformin, it is generally considered a safe and well-tolerated medication. However, like any medication, it can have side effects. Common side effects of Metformin may include gastrointestinal symptoms such as diarrhea, nausea, and abdominal discomfort. In some cases, it may also lead to vitamin B12 deficiency or, rarely, a serious condition called lactic acidosis. The risk of side effects should be weighed against the potential benefits of Metformin as part of PanNET treatment.

The following steps in research to determine the effectiveness of the ketogenic diet in human PanNET patients involve conducting clinical trials. These trials would involve carefully controlled studies on human participants to assess the diet’s impact on tumor growth, blood glucose levels, and overall health. Researchers would monitor for potential side effects and evaluate the diet’s efficacy in improving patient outcomes.

Additionally, research may explore the combination of a ketogenic diet with other treatment modalities, such as chemotherapy or targeted therapies, to determine if synergistic effects could enhance the treatment of PanNETs. Ultimately, conducting well-designed clinical trials will be essential to providing more concrete evidence of the diet’s effectiveness and safety in humans.

Cited Works:

Barrea, Luigi, Sara Cacciapuoti, Matteo Megna, Ludovica Verde, Claudio Marasca, Rosa Vono, Elisabetta Camajani, et al. “The effect of the ketogenic diet on Acne: Could it be a therapeutic tool?.” Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition (2023): 1–20.

Cohen, Yotam, Rafael Valdés-Mas, and Eran Elinav. “The Role of Artificial Intelligence in Deciphering Diet–Disease Relationships: Case Studies.” Annual Review of Nutrition 43 (2023).

Rana, Avinash, and Monika Arora. “Ketogenic diet: Assessing YouTube video information using quality, reliability, and text analytics methods.” Nutrition and Health (2023): 02601060231193789.

disease, Health

It is amazing how drugs make headway against lung, breast, and prostate cancers

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Newer drugs are substantially improving and enhancing the chances of survival for some individuals with hard-to-treat forms of lung, breast, and prostate cancer, doctors, reported at the world’s largest cancer conference.

Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

Immunotherapy drugs such as Keytruda have transformed the various treating types of cancerous tumors, but they’re still relatively new and don’t help most patients. The most extensive study yet of Keytruda in patients with advanced lung cancer discovered that 23 percent of those who got the drug as an element of their initial therapy survived at least five years, whereas 16 percent of those who tried other treatments first did. The risk of this rises with age, but about 48,000 cases each in the U.S. are in women under age 50 years. About 70 percent are “hormone-positive, HER2-negative” — that is, cancer’s growth is fueled by estrogen or progesterone and not by the gene that the drug Herceptin targets.

In research of 672 women with such cancers that had spread or been very advanced, adding the Novartis drug Kisqali to the usual hormone blockers as initial therapy helped more than hormone treatment alone.

After 3½ years, 70 percent of females on Kisqali were alive, compared to 46 percent for the remainder. Side effects were more typical with Kisqali.

This is the very first time any treatment has boosted survival beyond what hormone blockers do for such patients.

The choices keep expanding for men with prostate cancer that has spread beyond the gland. Standard therapy is drugs that block the male hormone testosterone, which helps these cancers grow, plus chemotherapy or even a newer drug called Zytiga.

Now, two other drugs have proved to extend survival whenever used like chemo or Zytiga in guys who were getting natural hormone therapy and still being helped by it.

One study tested Xtandi, sold by Pfizer and Astellas Pharma Inc., in 1,125 guys, half of whom also were chemo that is getting. After three years, 80 % of those offered Xtandi plus standard treatments were alive, contrasted to 72 percent of men given the other treatments alone. The other research involved 1,052 guys who got hormone treatment with or minus the Janssen drug Erleada. After two years, success was 82 percent among those on Erleada and 74 percent those types of who wasn’t.

Men now have a range of four drugs that provide comparable benefits, with no studies yet have compared them against one another, said Dr. Ethan Basch, a prostate specialist at the University of North Carolina’s Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center who may have no financial ties to any drugmakers.

However, chemo can cause numbness and tingling in the tactile arms and feet and may even maybe not be suitable for men with diabetes who already are at higher risk because of this problem. Zytiga must be studied having a steroid; Xtandi and Erleada can cause fainting and falling.

Chemo has more side effects, but it costs much less and requires only four to six intravenous treatments. One other three medications are pills that cost more than $10,000 a month and tend to be taken indefinitely.

Reference
Drugs make headway against lung, breast, prostate cancers …. https://www.everyday-scoop.com/drugs-make-headway-against-lung-breast-prostate-cancers-the-associated-press/