New cancer diagnosis – What to do now?

March 25, 2022

New cancer diagnosis? Sooner or later, you or someone you know will be faced with news of cancer [The big C].What to do next? There is initial disbelief and denial. Then, panic will engulf the first few hours of dealing with the new unwelcome status. Possibly coming into the picture is depression and confusion…

  1. Don’t panic and don’t believe the first thing you see on Google. Having a new cancer diagnosis is not like it was twenty years ago. People are living longer and some lead nearly normal lives even if the cancer fails to completely disappear. Stage 4 cancers, some of them at least, are still curable, and not necessarily a death sentence. Examples would be some leukemias, some lymphomas, and colon cancer or melanoma that is stage 4 but have only one site of (surgically removable) metastases. Furthermore, the survival numbers on Google might only reflect the data from 5 years ago, not taking into account the improved survival with newer therapies that still have not been published.

 

  1. Do find a medical oncologist   (cancer doctor), one that you can trust to help you navigate your way from diagnosis to the best treatment, and finally, long term surveillance. Your oncologist is instrumental in coordinating your treatments , especially if you also need surgery and radiation. They will help expedite your care! Today's treatment choices are many, and should be tailored to your goals. Do you want to live longer or do you prefer to preserve quality of life?

After the treatment is over, the work is really not yet done. Someone needs to monitor your regular follow-up tests, to make sure relapses are detected on time.

 

  1. Do understand the deeper aspects of your diagnosis

It is not enough to know that you have a cancer of a certain organ, say, lung cancer. What type of lung cancer? The sample tissue from the biopsy has yet to be sent to the lab and examined, further classified and given another name. Lung cancers come as “small cell” or “non-small cell”, each divided further into more detailed categories (adenocarcinoma, squamous, large, neuroendocrine, mesothelioma, etc). The treatment will depend on the subcategories that they fall under. The same goes for other tumors like kidney, breast, and even pancreas.

 

  1. Do ask about chemotherapy alternatives

Nowadays, there is also precision oncology. This involves identification of gene mutations (defects) that genetic scientists believe are behind the cause of cancer itself. They hope that by identifying the defect, they can make drugs to match these and effectively shut down the tumors. In addition to traditional cell killing chemotherapy, we now have readily available -- New Targeted Therapies, FDA approved “monoclonal antibodies”, “tumor vaccines”, and drugs that target tumors indirectly by affecting “tumor signaling pathways” and tweakers of the “programmed cell death” mechanisms. Make sure you ask your doctor if you qualify for any of these.

 

 

  1. Assemble your cancer team. Your family doctor should help you assemble a team of doctors who work together to treat your cancer.

 

SURGEONS:

They usually are the first responders to the scene. They do your biopsy and then surgically remove the tumor. Some would say that they “GOT IT ALL”. What this really means is they got everything that their naked eyes can see. Many people delay in seeing the oncologist, who should be in the picture within the first 3 months after surgery.

 

PATHOLOGISTS:

These unsung heroes are medical doctors who work behind the scenes. They know the intimate microscopic details of your tumors, make the final diagnosis but never really get to meet you. Details like how wide the margin of clean tissue surrounds your tumor, the aggressiveness of the cancer cells based on their microscopic arrangements, and the color of the tissues, all give clues on whether they are slow or fast growing.

 

ONCOLOGISTS: In many centers, the oncologists see all types of cancers. Some do specialize in certain cancer types over others. They will follow you from diagnosis till hopefully, complete remission .

 

NUTRITIONIST: Now is the time to rethink your diet. If you are reading my blog then you are already on the right path. You can make a difference in your cancer journey to cure. Nutritionists are highly trained to help you choose the correct food to eat.

 

RADIATION ONCOLOGIST: These cancer doctors specialize in radiation therapy, depending on your type of cancer. In most cases, radiation will help prevent cancers from returning to the site of radiation, but will not be able to prevent the cancer from metastasizing to a more distant organ.

 

ONCOLOGY NURSES: Highly specialized nurses who not only administer complex medications but also can identify side effects as they arise. They too will follow you closely as you progress on your cancer journey.

 

PALLIATIVE CARE DOCTOR: Offers treatment directed at comfort, including pain control, nutritional support, counseling, and hospice care.

 

  1. KEEP YOUR APPOINTMENTS: Don’t be a no show to your treatments , which could take anywhere between 1-6 months to complete. Also, once these are over, don’t forget your follow up appointments. The first two years are when most relapses occur.

 

  1. ALTERNATIVE TREATMENTS versus COMPLEMENTARY MEDICINE: If it’s too good to be true, it probably is. While complementary treatment such as essential oils, vitamins and herbs sound non-toxic and helpful, keep in mind that many of these are not FDA approved, or maybe have encouraging results in the dish laboratory, but never got to be tested in wide scale phase III human trials.

Don’t fall for “cures”

You will recognize these because they promise complete remission with one dose. Especially if it is linked to a mail order catalog with a hefty price tag per bottle of pills being sold. Some if not all alternative cancer treatments out there, came about as a result of a smaller, positive laboratory finding. Many used tissue cultures of cancer cell lines to experiment on, and found positive results. While that is all very exciting, many do not have solid human data to back up their claims. Search for those which have previous clinical data, preferably using human or animal subjects. And if possible try to enroll in a clinical trial that uses these drugs. That way you will get the benefit of close monitoring, and whatever result comes out of this trial, whether good or bad, will still add to existing and future cancer knowledge. TIP: If a “cancer pill” bought from the internet makes claims such as “scientifically proven”, “100% effective”, think again. Dead giveaways of bogus treatments would be words on the label like “Clinically tested”, exciting new breakthrough”,  “all natural”, “cure”, and once I even saw one labeled “cosmic”. They will also come with a hefty price tag to boot, therefore simply stay clear of these.

 

 WHAT TO DO WHILE WAITING 

 

Exercise more (at least 10 minutes a day),

it can rid your body of defective cells that could turn into cancer. http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/02/01/exercise-as-housecleaning-for-the-body/?_r=0

 

Get more quality sleep (dark environment without light interruption, use white noise if needed)

http://www.nature.com/nrc/journal/v9/n12/full/nrc2747.html

 

Eat healthy (avoid sugar and carbohydrates), http://bottomlineinc.com/starve-cancer-to-death-with-the-ketogenic-diet/

Ketogenic diets are new and so far most trials completed focused only on safety. There is emerging but still not definite evidence that this type of diet may improve survival. If you want to try this, get a doctor to monitor you and a nutritionist well versed in ketogenic diets to help you. You can find some at large children’s hospitals where the diet is currently being used for anti-seizure therapy. Miriam Kalamian is an online ketogenic expert dietician who charges a nominal fee for her services. http://www.dietarytherapies.com/faqs22.html

 

Take a multivitamin pill BUT stay away from megadoses

http://www.nytimes.com/health/guides/nutrition/vitamins/print.html

 

Check your Vitamin D levels . There is evidence linking Vitamin D deficiency to many cancers. https://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/causes-prevention/risk/diet/vitamin-d-fact-sheet

 

and … if your doctor says its OK, gulp down an aspirin daily

https://www.theguardian.com/science/2014/aug/06/aspirin-could-dramtically-cut-cancer-risk-say-scientists-biggest-study-yet

 

Try to reduce stress. A new cancer diagnosis does not mean that you stop living. Take a vacation!

https://www.mdanderson.org/publications/focused-on-health/december-2014/how-stress-affects-cancer-risk.html

 

  1. Do consider joining a clinical trial: Call the National Cancer Institute NCI 1-800 -422-6237. Someone on the other line will be able to help you find the correct trial. You can also go on clinicaltrials.gov if you feel like doing your own search. The best time to join a trial is when you are in tip top shape. Most trials are looking for people with cancer but who are healthy otherwise. This is a chance to avail of new drugs that are still not out on the market. TIP: If you wait until after you have had standard treatment, you might no longer qualify for the new drugs in trial.

Phase I trials are the easiest to get into, because they are testing the dose of a new drug, and trying to find out which dose would be the maximum safe, non toxic level. This type of trial welcomes almost any type of tumor since it is primarily a safety trial , and the number of participants is usually small, (20-100). The chance of getting a tumor response to the drug is very low, because they still don’t know which tumor type best responds to it since it has not yet been tested in Phase II. Once the correct dose is discovered, the drug goes into Phase II .

Phase II This trial recruits more subjects (100-300), and the drug is now compared to a placebo. It is also tested in a single type of tumor.

Phase III is more sophisticated,and have more subjects (500-3000 ) because not only is the drug being tested against placebo, but also against the current standard treatments. Results that are statistically positive tend to make their way into general public use and FDA approval.

 

  1. If you have a “rare type” of cancer, ask for a second opinion.RARE CANCERS: A new cancer diagnosis that happen to be rare. Best to try to go to a center of higher patient volume where doctors see more of the same kind of rare tumor. Preferably choose a university based hospital where cutting edge treatments are born and actually used on a daily basis.You can also ask your oncologist to secure a second opinion of your case history, outside of their hospital, for you. In addition, your tumor specimen itself can also be sent off to a different laboratory for a microscopic and sometimes, immunologic special restaining for a second opinion. If you don’t have the time, money or resources to go in person for a second opinion, nowadays there are virtual clinics (online medical consultations) which for a fee, will have you access a licensed doctor and have them review your case and provide medical advice. Top tier doctors practicing in big hospitals like Memorial Sloan Kettering in New York, and Johns Hopkins in Baltimore, Maryland, offer virtual consultations for a fee, which can be pricey, usually around $2500.00 https://www.mskcc.org/experience/become-patient/international-patients/requesting-medical-records-review-mail

http://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/second_opinion/

 

 Or you can go to find a private doctor on other globally oriented websites like Healthtap.

www.healthtap.com and schedule a consultation for less money, starting at $30 per consult. They also take medical insurance now, and welcome US, Canadian, as well as international patients.

9. And last but most importantly, find yourself a companion (i.e. spouse, sibling, friend) who will be willing to support you physically and emotionally throughout the challenges that a new cancer diagnosis brings. They will help you get started on what to do now!

Exploring the Link Between Cancer and Weight Loss:

March 14, 2024
Breaking Down the Fear  Ketogenic diets often result in weight loss. Cancer patients frequently lose weight. Does this mean that keto diets are harmful to use in cancer patients? Cancer and weight loss are two topics that often come hand in hand, yet the relationship between them can be complex and sometimes frightening. Weight loss, particularly unexplained or rapid, can evoke fear in many individuals, often signaling underlying severe health concerns. However, when it comes to cancer, weight loss can sometimes be one of the earliest signs of the disease. In today's blog, we delve into the connection between cancer and weight loss, unraveling why the latter often instills fear and how understanding this relationship can lead to better health outcomes. Understanding Cancer and Weight Loss: Cancer involves uncontrolled cell growth and abnormal spread of cells throughout the body. These invading cells affect various organs and systems and disrupt their normal function. Weight loss can be very subtle or profound depending on the type of organ invaded. As cancer takes root and establishes itself, it also spews out cytokines (unique inflammatory proteins) that also serve as signal messengers, signaling muscles to lose volume, resulting in a weight loss phenomenon known as cachexia. Cachexia is a complex syndrome. Inflammation is often at the root of this problem, of profound muscle wasting, generalized fatigue, and poor appetite, Why Are We Afraid of Weight Loss? Weight loss, in general, is often perceived negatively in society. There's a prevailing notion that thinness equates to health, beauty, and success, while weight loss may imply illness or a lack of control. However, when weight loss occurs without intentional dieting or exercise, it can be a red flag for underlying health issues, including cancer. In cancer, especially, the presence of weight loss is disturbing because we traditionally associate it with illness. Association with Illness: Unexplained weight loss is commonly associated with illness, particularly severe conditions like cancer. The fear of the unknown and the potential implications of such weight loss can be daunting for individuals. To be of "normal" weight is equated with health. Loss of Control: Weight loss, especially rapid or involuntary, can make individuals feel like they've lost control over their bodies. This loss of power can be unsettling and exacerbate feelings of anxiety or fear. Uncertainty: Weight loss without a clear cause can be perplexing and raise questions about what might happen within the body. The uncertainty surrounding the underlying cause can contribute to fear and anxiety. During chemotherapy, however, weight loss is inevitable because we are in a catabolic state. The active cancer is making us lose weight. The key is to control or snuff out the underlying cancer. Once you weaken the tumor, less cytokine release and less inflammation will follow. As this occurs, the "source" of the cytokine release will die, and weight gain should naturally recover. Therefore, loading up on carbohydrates to make us appear to be of "normal weight" is incorrect. Loading up on sugary treats will only strengthen the cancer and will only be counterproductive! Conclusion: The fear of weight loss, particularly in the context of cancer, is understandable, given the potential implications for health and well-being. However, by understanding the complex relationship between cancer and weight loss and challenging societal stigmas, we can accept some form of healthy weight loss during chemotherapy. We can learn to recognize unhealthy weight loss (loss of muscle mass) and differentiate it from healthy weight loss during a ketogenic diet (most of which is weight loss from fat and excess water). As long as one feels energetic, with normal blood parameters and no indication of significant liver or kidney failure, anemia, or marrow failure, then some healthy weight loss during chemotherapy or implementation of a ketogenic diet CAN be acceptable.

GINGER ALE DURING CHEMOTHERAPY

March 4, 2024
Are you still drinking "ginger ale" during your chemotherapy sessions? You know, those gleaming, chilled cans of sparkly soda that your cheerful chemotherapy nurse hands out along with your anti nausea pills?  The scent and the taste of ginger help nausea stay away. But did you know that your "ginger ale" contains no ginger? Worse, the HFCS high fructose corn syrup, a highly processed sugar, can do you more harm than good. And making your cancer cells really happy. Next time you go for your chemo session, ask for water instead. Or better yet, bring your own ginger-infused drink from home. Here is some background about ginger. For centuries, ginger has been used as a remedy for nausea and digestive issues, and some scientific evidence supports its effectiveness. Here are some examples. Morning Sickness: Pregnant women often experience morning sickness, and ginger has been traditionally used to alleviate these symptoms. Several studies have shown that ginger can reduce nausea and vomiting during pregnancy. For example, a meta-analysis published in the Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology Research in 2014 concluded that ginger supplementation significantly reduced the severity of nausea and vomiting in pregnant women without any significant side effects. Motion Sickness: Ginger is effective in reducing motion sickness. A study published in Aviation, Space, and Environmental Medicine 1986 found that ginger was more effective than a placebo in reducing symptoms of motion sickness. Subsequent studies have supported these findings, suggesting ginger can alleviate symptoms like nausea, vomiting, and cold sweating associated with motion sickness. Chemotherapy-Induced Nausea: Cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy experience nausea and vomiting. The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine 2009 published a review that analyzed several randomized controlled trials and found that ginger supplementation could reduce the severity of chemotherapy-induced nausea. Postoperative Nausea: Nausea and vomiting are common after surgery. A meta-analysis published in the journal Integrative Cancer Therapies in 2012 found that ginger effectively reduced postoperative nausea and vomiting compared to a placebo. However, we need more research to fully understand its mechanisms and best dosage. Everyone responds differently, but ginger, in its natural form, is usually safe to take during chemotherapy. Just make sure its the real thing! Photo credit Dan Sorum @ unsplash

Welcome to all our new members

January 30, 2023
Welcome to all our new members

Getting Started On A Keto Diet

May 17, 2022
Getting started on the keto diet usually sounds like someone is trying to lose weight? When you add cancer to that recipe, it becomes a whole new ball game. Do any of these thoughts sound familiar? “ I want to fight my cancer , and I heard that this diet can help me heal “ “ I’m confused because the keto diet will make me lose weight” “I’m afraid to lose more weight.” “I can’t afford to lose weight! “ “When is weight loss just right, and when is it too much? “ Is there real hope for me? Over the past two decades, I’ve seen my share of cancer patients. Yup, the whole package - diagnosis, anxiety, chemo, radiation, hair loss, weight loss, and, failures. But, I also saw many patients who achieve clean CT scans, remission, happy news, hair growth, and of course, the coveted weight gain. I have my own collection of patients with stage four cancers, a few have actually reached their ten to twelve year anniversary with me. Most of them have made it past five years and some are in complete remission. Yes, stage four to stage zero! How did they do it? You may have come to this website, searching for answers. I wish that I could tell you all that I know, in one sentence, but I can’t. It usually takes me several office visits to educate my patients. For now, you can stick around, and try to absorb the knowledge from current posts. Take time to read through my past blogs. Signup for a keto conference. There is one coming up very soon. The MHS 2022 in Santa Barbara California. May 5 to 8. Read books, and more books. You might be surprised. Not all books are the same. Some are full of dense material, while some are mostly fluff. But eventually, you will find the right book for you. Join me in one of my subgroups. But you need to fit the profile and be past the beginners stage when you join. Or you might get bored! I do show up there from time to time, to break the ice. And by the way, when you are stuck and can’t find the answers you are looking for...you need to make your voice heard and post your questions. What if my cancer doctor doesn’t approve? If your cancer doctor doesn’t know much about the keto lifestyle, or about metabolic approaches to cancer, don’t lose hope. Try to educate them, Share your knowledge. Even if they are at first resistant, with time, some will marvel at your progress and will notice that you are doing better than their average patients. Finally... the number one question that shows up on my blog.... What diet is best for me? I’m so CONFUSED! “ Dr. XXX on YouTube said that a keto diet and weight loss is good for cancer, but another doctor YYY said the opposite, that I should eat, healthy carbs, more plants, fruit , avoid fat and protein, try to gain weight. “ Dr. WWW advocates a vegan diet, but Dr ZZZ said do a carnivore diet.... , help!!!! Let me know your thoughts in the comments below!

New drug for relapsed Glioblastoma, a deadly form of brain cancer

March 30, 2022
There is exciting news on the horizon for glioblastoma, which is a deadly form of brain cancer. Have you heard of activated T cell therapy? It is similar to the car-T cell therapies that you often hear about for blood cancers. Well, this form of therapy is now available for patients with brain cancers. The catch is, you must enroll in a clinical trial. It is not yet available to the public. To qualify, one must have glioblastoma, a form of brain cancer , and cancer must have relapsed after the first diagnosis. Patients who are interested are now able to ask for information about enrolment at the Cedars Sinai Medical Centre in Los Angeles. This trial will be classified under a Phase one type of clinical trial. The drug company, Kairos pharma is the sponsor. This exciting new therapy, otherwise known as KROS 201, is a form of activated T cell therapy. The patient’s white blood cells are first harvested. Blood is removed by a simple intravenous blood draw, and then sent off to the lab to be processed in a cell culture. In the lab, the white blood cells are primed by exposing them to small protein substances called cytokines. This process will in turn activate the white blood cells, specifically the killer T cells. Once activated, these cells can now fight cancer by inactivating cancer stem cells. The T cells are returned to the patient’s body by intravenous infusion. The link for enrolment is not yet available but do keep checking on www.clinicaltrials.gov

Mistletoe plus chemotherapy in non small cell lung cancer

March 25, 2022
Iscador, a type of mistletoe preparation was tested by a medical team in Israel alongside conventional chemotherapy in the treatment of patients with advanced non small cell lung cancer. Although no improvement in survival or quality of life was noted,non hematological side effects from the chemotherapy and hospitalizations were less in the group which received the mistle toe preparation. Possible yet unproven mechanisms of action include improvement of immune function via increasing the number of NK natural killer cells as well as improve the function of Tumor Necrosis Factor Alpha. Fever which is also a noted side effect of this preparation has been described prior to spontaneous regression of certain cancers such as melanoma implying a possible role of immunotherapy in the fight against cancer. No randomized trials on cancer patients have yet been published. 

Brain cancer – Challenges with the ketogenic diet

March 25, 2022
We made little progress in the way of survival in the treatment of malignant brain tumors, specifically the deadly glioblastoma multiform. Despite aggressive surgery followed by radiation therapy and precautionary chemotherapy, they relapse early and survival is measured in months. Patients rarely survive beyond a year. Alternative therapies abound with few successes. Some patients attempt to enroll in clinical trials in search of new drugs that might make a difference in their survival.  There is a biologic treatment available. It is the monoclonal antibody called Bevacizumab. It supposedly controls the growth of blood vessels that supply nutrition to the brain tumor. Shrinking the blood supply supposedly starves the tumor. Very exciting, but nonetheless isn't a cure. Long term survivors still remain a rarity. There is mounting interest in metabolic basis of cancer development. In this respect, I do feel that ketogenic diets have potential benefit in brain cancer patients. The role of sugar and carbohydrates in the progression of brain tumors is interesting. Since most patients also are on steroids to improve brain swelling. It is also bad for them because this also increases their blood glucose. I wonder, if we are indeed adding fuel to the fire. A few case reports of brain tumor patients who were offered the ketogenic diet showed that some tumors stopped growing while others improved their survival. Notably, upon discontinuation of the diet, the tumor was noted to again progress, only to regain control upon reinitiation. Currently there are 4 clinical trials ongoing in the United States involving the ketogenic diet in the treatment of various forms of cancer. Another is ongoing in Germany. More clinical trial participation is desperately needed if we are going to move ahead and forge any progress with this deadly cancer. =

Lonsurf, newly approved colon cancer drug

March 25, 2022
Three weeks ago I got word that another new chemotherapy drug has been approved for the treatment of colorectal cancer. Ideal candidates for this drug are patients who failed previous chemotherapy involving one of the following drugs: 5-Fluorouracil, Oxaliplatin, Irinotecan, Cetuximab (also known as Erbitux) and Avastin ( also known as Bevacizumab).This new drug has two active components, trifluridine and tipiracil. Trifluridine is a new nucleoside analog. In other words, a nucleoside is a nitrogen containing biologic compound linked to a sugar, which when phosphorylated, turns into a nucleotide, which is a vital part of the DNA backbone. Trifluridine therefore is a nucleoside analog, meaning it isn't but acts like a nucleoside. It incorporates itself into the DNA structure and interferes with cell growth and proliferation. Tipiracil inhibits the enzyme thymidine phosphorylase, which catalyzes the degradation of Trifluridine, thus allowing it to last longer. Thymidine phosphorylase by itself has pro-angiogenic properties, meaning it promotes blood vessel formation and encourages better blood supply of tumors, so Tipiracil directly stops this advantage. Furthermore, Tipiracil by stopping thymidine phosphorylase, prevents the formation of thymine and 2-deoxy-alpha-D-ribose 1-phosphate. 2DARP is a strong reducing sugar product of thymidine catabolism and causes increased oxidative stress within tumors, promotes release of more tumor blood vessel promoting factors ( angiogenic growth factors) such as interleukin-8, vascular endothelial growth factors VEGF, and matrix metalloproteinase-1 an enzyme which breaks down collagen and extracelular matrix, which is key in promoting tumor metastases. This three mode action of tipiracil ( inhibits thymine production, thymidine phosphorylase VEGF activity, stops ROS and MMP-1 , VEGF and cytokine production)- makes it more attractive since it can potentiate the action of the common colorectal chemotherapy drug 5- fluorouracil whose main action is to inhibit formation of thymine. The RECOURSE trial, a —international, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study conducted in patients with previously treated metastatic colorectal cancer apparently resulted in statistically significant improvement in overall survival and progression free survival . The drug is given orally, twice a day, for two straight weeks, minus weekends, followed by a two week break. Side effects are listed as anemia, neutropenia, asthenia/fatigue, nausea, —thrombocytopenia, decreased appetite, diarrhea,vomiting, abdominal pain,—pyrexia. Since it is barely a month since FDA approval ( Sept. 24, 2015) it still has not hit our pharmacy shelves. I am however eager to try this. Will update you again in a few months. 

Getting into ketosis

March 25, 2022
How long does it take to get into a state of clinical ketosis? By ketosis, I mean the levels of beta-hydroxybutyric acid reaching to above normal levels yet not high enough to bring you into a medical emergency such as ketoacidosis. As little as a day is all it takes. You an achieve this in different ways. The most common and sure fire method is to simply stop eating. If you fast and only limit your intake to water or sugarless herbal , which technically has ZERO calories, you will achieve a state of ketosis in no time. Another way is to try fasting for 15 hours a day, or roughly, just eat one full meal daily. this should bring you into ketosis too, though not all 24 hours are involved. If you try a ketogenic diet, that means, you will be limiting your carbohydrate intake to approximately 20% of your total daily intake, and take the rest in the form of fats ( 70-75%) and proteins (5 to 10%).  Monitoring your progress will be helpful. A simple glucometer will suffice. Individual serum Ketone sticks, readily available from Amazon.com or special order through your pharmacy can be used to check your ketone levels throughout the week.

Update on clinical trials of the ketogenic diet in cancer

March 25, 2022
Several clinical trials are ongoing throughout the United States at the moment.  The University of Iowa Department of Radiation Oncology is running a couple of Phase I trials on the use of the ketogenic diet plus radiation and chemotherapy in head and neck cancers, and they also have another which studies the ketogenic diet plus chemoradiation in non-small cell lung cancers and pancreatic cancer. Michigan State University has one which recruited brain cancers, also known as glioblastomas, a very deadly type of brain cancer. Duke University recently began a randomized trial studying the ketogenic diet plus androgen deprivation therapy in prostate cancer , using the ketogenic diet versus a control standard diet. Unfortunately per recent info posted on the clinicaltrials.gov website, the trial was terminated as of December 2015, due to lack of funding, and due to the principal investigator leaving . Closer to home, the Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Pittsburgh has their own trial which recently concluded in 2015. This trial recruited patients with advanced solid tumors across broad tumor types and patients dieted up to 16 weeks or until tolerated. The results have not yet been publicly released as it is currently under manuscript review.
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