Aa
test on fasting and chemo
I found this article and it tweaked my mind, the theory behind it kinda makes sense to me. These are only mice, "poor little buggers" but on a scale of 1 to 10 I would rate this idea about an 8. . It says food not water, let me know what you think, Might suggest to Leslee to eat a low calorie diet for 2 days prior to her Gemzar, since she has gained so much weight from the steroids , I don't see how it can hurt as long as she keeps the fluid intake high.
WASHINGTON - A few days of fasting might help protect patients from some of the unpleasant and dangerous side-effects of cancer chemotherapy, researchers reported on Tuesday.
They said mice given a high dose of chemotherapy after fasting thrived while half of a group of well-fed mice died, they reported in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
The researchers stressed that people should not try this on their own yet but said the findings might lead to a way to use chemotherapy to more effectively kill tumors while sparing healthy cells.
Valter Longo of the University of Southern California and colleagues first tested yeast cells, then human cells in lab dishes. They found healthy cells starved of nutrients survived the ravages of chemotherapy — but not cancer cells.
"In theory, it opens up new treatment approaches that will allow higher doses of chemotherapy. It's a direction that's worth pursuing in clinical trials in humans," cancer researcher Pinchas Cohen of the University of California, Los Angeles, who was not involved in the study, said in a statement.
Longo and colleagues said animals fed a low-calorie diet live longer, in part because their cells can resist stress better. They also noticed that starved cells go into a kind of hibernation mode, while cancer cells form tumors because they lack an "off" position, growing uncontrollably.
Chemo affects all cells, not just cancer
Longo wondered if the starvation response might be a way to differentiate healthy cells from cancer cells. One reason chemotherapy causes side-effects is that it affects all active and growing cells — tumors, but also hair follicles, the lining of the intestines and other cells.
"Here, we tested the hypothesis that short-term starvation or low glucose/low serum can protect mammalian cells but not or to a lesser extent cancer cells, against high doses of oxidative damage or chemotherapy," they wrote.
"We administered an unusually high dose of etoposide (80 mg/kg) to ... mice that had been starved for 48 hours. In humans, one-third of this concentration of etoposide is considered to be a high dose and therefore in the maximum allowable range," they wrote.
The high dose killed 43 percent of the mice that were fed normally but just one starved mouse. The starved mice regained their lost weight within four days.
An even higher dose killed all of the well-fed mice from a different genetic strain but none of the starved mice, and again the mice that fasted regained their weight.
Skipping food won't harm most patients
Other cancer experts said a few days of fasting would not harm most cancer patients.
"This could have applicability in maybe a majority of patients," said Dr. David Quinn of the University of Southern California.
"We have passed the stage where patients arrive at the clinic in an emaciated state. Not eating for two days is not the end of the world," agreed Felipe Sierra, director of the Biology of Aging Program at the National Institute on Aging.
.
WASHINGTON - A few days of fasting might help protect patients from some of the unpleasant and dangerous side-effects of cancer chemotherapy, researchers reported on Tuesday.
They said mice given a high dose of chemotherapy after fasting thrived while half of a group of well-fed mice died, they reported in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
The researchers stressed that people should not try this on their own yet but said the findings might lead to a way to use chemotherapy to more effectively kill tumors while sparing healthy cells.
Valter Longo of the University of Southern California and colleagues first tested yeast cells, then human cells in lab dishes. They found healthy cells starved of nutrients survived the ravages of chemotherapy — but not cancer cells.
"In theory, it opens up new treatment approaches that will allow higher doses of chemotherapy. It's a direction that's worth pursuing in clinical trials in humans," cancer researcher Pinchas Cohen of the University of California, Los Angeles, who was not involved in the study, said in a statement.
Longo and colleagues said animals fed a low-calorie diet live longer, in part because their cells can resist stress better. They also noticed that starved cells go into a kind of hibernation mode, while cancer cells form tumors because they lack an "off" position, growing uncontrollably.
Chemo affects all cells, not just cancer
Longo wondered if the starvation response might be a way to differentiate healthy cells from cancer cells. One reason chemotherapy causes side-effects is that it affects all active and growing cells — tumors, but also hair follicles, the lining of the intestines and other cells.
"Here, we tested the hypothesis that short-term starvation or low glucose/low serum can protect mammalian cells but not or to a lesser extent cancer cells, against high doses of oxidative damage or chemotherapy," they wrote.
"We administered an unusually high dose of etoposide (80 mg/kg) to ... mice that had been starved for 48 hours. In humans, one-third of this concentration of etoposide is considered to be a high dose and therefore in the maximum allowable range," they wrote.
The high dose killed 43 percent of the mice that were fed normally but just one starved mouse. The starved mice regained their lost weight within four days.
An even higher dose killed all of the well-fed mice from a different genetic strain but none of the starved mice, and again the mice that fasted regained their weight.
Skipping food won't harm most patients
Other cancer experts said a few days of fasting would not harm most cancer patients.
"This could have applicability in maybe a majority of patients," said Dr. David Quinn of the University of Southern California.
"We have passed the stage where patients arrive at the clinic in an emaciated state. Not eating for two days is not the end of the world," agreed Felipe Sierra, director of the Biology of Aging Program at the National Institute on Aging.
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Also, let's remember that animal testing has never yielded any advances in cancer therapy or treatment. While it is done (mainly only for legal and procedureal requirements), animals bodies are different than us (duh!) and react differently. If we were to go off how animals reacted to chemos/cancer/etc we would have a truckload of cures right now because so *much* works on them...but alas...not on us. It's encouraging they used non-animal research in the beginning, but sad they used animals in the end...it's pointless research when there are advanced computer and biological models out there (but of course those are more expensive than 'mice').
I wonder if it has to do with the brain as well...I saw a recent show on discovery channel about the brain and people who go into 'starvation' mode (even by reducing calorie intake) are healther and can actually repair their body. I am going to destroy my body right now and eat something :)
But let's remember this is initial research! But intriguing!
But let's remember this is initial research! But intriguing!
Wow, this sounds promising. Marty - will you let me know how Leslee does fasting for 48 hours prior to chemo? Will she be drinking fruit and veggie juice, or just water? I'm very interested in this...let's hope this can help us. D
Leslee and I talked this over today and she will be fasting for 48 hours prior to her next chemo, the 11th I did a lot more research and found that fruit and veggie juices and lots of distilled water help flush the system out, there is a lot of info on the net about fasting, As with anything though we will just have to wait and see if it helps.
I wanted to find out a little more about fasting, never did it before except in preparation for surgery, here is some of what I found
Normally Fasting is done for religious and spiritual reasons but it has lot of benefits for health. Fasting achieves a physiological rest to the digestive, assimilative, and protective organ Next, the bodily energy normally used to digest and assimilate food is now used to purify our body. Fasting is a safe and effective means of maximizing the body's self-healing capacities.
Generally we consume lot of foods daily we cherish our body with some unwanted calories in our body which results in accumulation of different toxins in our body which are cause for different diseases.
Our body needs process of eliminating or neutralizing toxins through the colon, liver, kidneys, lungs, lymph glands, and skin. This process is precipitated by fasting because when food is no longer entering the body, the body turns to fat reserves for energy. When the fat reserves are used for energy during a fast, it releases the chemicals from the fatty acids into the system, which are then eliminated through our body. Benefits of Fasting
There are several benefits such as purification, rejuvenation, revitalization, and rest for digestive organs, clearer skin, anti-aging effects, improved senses, hearing, taste, and reduction of allergies, weight loss, drug detoxification, and better resistance to disease, spiritual awareness. Fasting is helpful to clear out the problems that have arisen from overeating and a sedentary lifestyle.
The process of decomposing and eliminating waste toxic materials can improve or even cure various diseases: cardiovascular and circulatory diseases, diseases of digestive system, diseases of the locomotor system including rheumatism, respiratory system diseases including asthma etc.
Normally Fasting is done for religious and spiritual reasons but it has lot of benefits for health. Fasting achieves a physiological rest to the digestive, assimilative, and protective organ Next, the bodily energy normally used to digest and assimilate food is now used to purify our body. Fasting is a safe and effective means of maximizing the body's self-healing capacities.
Generally we consume lot of foods daily we cherish our body with some unwanted calories in our body which results in accumulation of different toxins in our body which are cause for different diseases.
Our body needs process of eliminating or neutralizing toxins through the colon, liver, kidneys, lungs, lymph glands, and skin. This process is precipitated by fasting because when food is no longer entering the body, the body turns to fat reserves for energy. When the fat reserves are used for energy during a fast, it releases the chemicals from the fatty acids into the system, which are then eliminated through our body. Benefits of Fasting
There are several benefits such as purification, rejuvenation, revitalization, and rest for digestive organs, clearer skin, anti-aging effects, improved senses, hearing, taste, and reduction of allergies, weight loss, drug detoxification, and better resistance to disease, spiritual awareness. Fasting is helpful to clear out the problems that have arisen from overeating and a sedentary lifestyle.
The process of decomposing and eliminating waste toxic materials can improve or even cure various diseases: cardiovascular and circulatory diseases, diseases of digestive system, diseases of the locomotor system including rheumatism, respiratory system diseases including asthma etc.
It would be wonderful if that turns out to be factual because it would give us, the patient, a little bit of control in fighting this battle. We loose so much control over our lives when the battle is raging ....it would be nice to feel we can do more than be a victim keeping our fingers and toes crossed! I know there are some things we can do to participate in our treatment, but, this would be a huge thing for some of us who are control freaks!
Martha....thanks for the info.
Peace.
dian
Martha....thanks for the info.
Peace.
dian
That is interesting. My family pushes me to eat the days before chemo, because I won't eat for several days after from nausea. I might try a low fat semi-fast and see. Thanks, Donna
Hmmm....very interesting. Thanks for sharing this. I might ask my Doctor if he's heard of this before. It seems to make sense...
Thanks Marty!
Becky
Thanks Marty!
Becky
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