Can a Ketogenic Diet Improve Mesothelioma Drug Efficacy?

Treating cancer requires proper nutrition and a healthy diet, a general principle to which mesothelioma is no exception. That said, there is a seemingly endless amount of diets to choose from, and many well-meaning friends and family members may have already recommended a diet to try if you have been diagnosed with mesothelioma.

As a general rule, do not embrace any diets (especially fad diets) without first discussing a potential change in nutrition with your health team and oncologist. Having said that, a recent study indicates that a ketogenic diet may be capable of enhancing mesothelioma drug effectiveness.

What Is a Ketogenic Diet?

The ketogenic diet — in its original form — aimed to provide the body with calories that overwhelmingly come from fats, rather than carbohydrates and proteins. The thinking behind this form of dieting is that the body will then rely on fat and the fat-burning byproduct known as ketones for energy. Receiving energy in this way is called ketosis, which is how the ketogenic diet obtained its unusual name.

There is reason to think that this form of dieting may improve the effectiveness of mesothelioma drugs and treatment for some patients. However, while reading the following study, do bear in mind that you should discuss a diet change with your physician since a ketogenic diet may also lead to side effects such as:

• Fatigue
• Muscle cramping
• Constipation
• Weight loss, which may not be beneficial when treating mesothelioma

Study Suggests Ketogenic Diet May Improve Mesothelioma Drug Efficacy

A new class of cancer drugs are focused on targeting the PI3K enzyme, which is activated by insulin and is an enzyme that is present for many types of cancerous tumors. Malignant mesothelioma, for example, is one form of cancer that is currently being treated with drugs that target this particular enzyme.

Despite great hope for these drugs, researchers were at first disappointed that the drugs were largely ineffective at controlling the PI3K enzyme, at least until patients started following a ketogenic diet. The team of researchers at Cornell University’s Sandra and Edward Meyer Cancer Center placed patients on a typical ketogenic "low-carbohydrate, high-fat diet", and the effectiveness of PI3K-targeting cancer drugs improved.

More promisingly, the study itself was focused on drugs designed for the treatment of mesothelioma. According to the researchers, the study’s findings revealed that when insulin is kept at lower levels with a ketogenic diet, the cancer drugs become far more effective.

If you or a loved one is taking or considering mesothelioma drugs that target the PI3K enzyme for mesothelioma cancer, you may wish to discuss the findings of this study with your healthcare professionals.

In addition to taking care of your medical needs, you may also be eligible to receive significant compensation if your mesothelioma was caused by a responsible party who exposed you to the harms of asbestos.

Contact our team at The Ledger Law Firm to speak with a mesothelioma lawyer about your mesothelioma diagnosis and legal claim today.