Ketogenic diet: a tool for the management of neuroendocrine neoplasms?
Study Goal
The researchers aimed to review the potential role of ketogenic diet (a low-carbohydrate diet) in managing neuroendocrine neoplasms (NENs) and its broader implications in cancer therapy.
Results Summary
The abstract suggests that a ketogenic diet may sensitize cancers to standard treatments by targeting altered cancer cell metabolism, with potential benefits for NENs, though specific outcomes are not detailed.
Population
Patients with neuroendocrine neoplasms (NENs) and broader cancer populations (e.g., gynecological, neurological cancers).
Effective Dosage
Not specified
Duration
Not specified
Interactions
None mentioned
| Intervention | Direction | Endpoint | Population | Dosage | Impact | Claim # |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
malnutrition | increase | rates of complications, hospitalization, hospital stay, costs and mortality | patients with neuroendocrine neoplasms | - | negatively impacts | #1 |
poor nutritional status | decrease | outcome | patients with pancreatic neuroendocrine neoplasms | - | could influence | #2 |
obesity | increase | these neoplasms | - | - | could stimulate the growth | #3 |
Ketogenic diet | neutral | management of several types of cancer | - | - | has been reported to be a promising approach | #4 |
Ketogenic diet | neutral | most cancers to standard treatment | - | - | appears to sensitize | #5 |
Ketogenic diet | neutral | adjuvant cancer therapy | - | - | resulting in a promising candidate | #6 |
Neuroendocrine neoplasms (NENs) are a heterogeneous group of neoplasms, whose incidence has rapidly increased in the last years. Nutrition plays an important role in their management; indeed, malnutrition negatively impacts on rates of complications, hospitalization, hospital stay, costs and mortality. Furthermore, it has been reported that a poor nutritional status could influence the outcome of patients with pancreatic NENs. Moreover, obesity, predisposing to insulin resistance and compensatory hyperinsulinemia, could stimulate the growth of these neoplasms. Ketogenic diet (KD), a high-fat, low-carbohydrate diet with adequate amounts of protein, has been reported to be a promising approach for the management of several types of cancer, mostly gynecological and neurological ones. Indeed, it appears to sensitize most cancers to standard treatment by exploiting the reprogramed metabolism of cancer cells and thus resulting in a promising candidate as an adjuvant cancer therapy. Thus, the aim of this review is to provide an overview on the importance of nutrition in cancer management and in particular in NENs' setting. Furthermore, we reported the current evidence on the efficacy of KD in the management of cancer and based on molecular mechanisms; we also hypothesize the potential use of this nutritional pattern in the management of NENs.