Fasting for Chemo Treatments

Soknwt
Soknwt Member Posts: 4
in Anal Cancer #1

Has anyone heard about studies being done with fasting before and during chemo?  In essence, I have read that fasting prepares the bad cells making them huungry and they soak up the chemo making it more effective.  Has anyone heard or tried this?

Comments

  • Mollymaude
    Mollymaude Member Posts: 431 Member
    #2
    Soknwt

    No I have not heard of that. I can  guess there would be problems with fasting during chemo though since in my regimen I had to get the 5 FU metered in over a period of 5 days. That would use weight loss and the oncologists do not like that!

  • tanda
    tanda Member Posts: 174 Member
    #3
    soknwt

    Even before treatment began I was strongly encouraged to eat as much as possible, especially protein ...and to not be concerned with things that are usually not recommended (ice cream, pasta, carbs, hamburgers,etc and fattening things! ) I was told that now was the time to indulge myself. 

    I had very little appetite and ate very little.  The idea is to maintain your weight and nutritional status which is is critical for healing!  Also, drink lots of water and other fluids as hydration is essential.

     

  • mp327
    mp327 Member Posts: 4,440 Member
    edited July 2017 #4
    Soknwt

    I've never heard this.

  • Wellzen
    Wellzen Member Posts: 42
    #5
    I was told to try to eat

    I was told to try to eat small frequent meals. Lots of protien. Lots of liquids

  • eihtak
    eihtak Member Posts: 1,473 Member
    edited July 2017 #6
    Soknwt...

    Hi, I was dx with anal cancer about 6 1/2 years ago and one year later with breast cancer. At that time studies were being conducted on the effectiveness of fasting and chemotherapy treatment for breast cancer patients. I had read several articles on the topic, but reminded that these studies were done on rats NOT humans, and while a potential learning tool, it is important to note the different factors that come into play. I was encouraged like the others to eat high protien foods and whatever I could to avoid malnutrition. I have not seen any current studies in recent years on this topic.

    Here is an excerpt from one article:

    http://foodforbreastcancer.com/articles/would-fasting-during-chemotherapy-improve-treatment-effectiveness?

    Rodents are different from human beings in many ways and are not a good model for assessing the long-term effects of a proposed treatment strategy. Fasting during chemotherapy could have unintended long-term consequences. For example, it is not implausible that fasting could trigger cancer cell adaptive systems (to cope with the stress of a lack of nutrients). This in turn could result in a rebound effect in any cancer cells not killed by chemotherapy, an effect that could heighten their aggressiveness.

    Please let us know if you find any new positive information on this, but know that most doctors do encourage current patients to eat as mentioned. 

    Be well....

    katheryn

  • jcorum
    jcorum Member Posts: 54 Member
    edited July 2017 #7
    I am naturally thin and when diagnosed

    I was told to gain weight while i could because i would lose weight. So every day i ate a big mac, fries & shake for lunch. I had no naseau at all during treatment, didnt lose weight. In fact GAINED 10 pounds from those big macs & shakes & have never been able to get those 10 pounds off Yell

  • LindaBaehr
    LindaBaehr Member Posts: 47
    #8
    I Can't Imagine that Would be a Good Idea

    I actually intentionally gained some weight prior to chemo, and lost just what I had gained.  I then had a major surgery and lost some more, but that's another story.  

    I have always eaten healthy and worked out (lifting weights), so my mind set going into this was to be as strong and healthy as possible.  If you don't have any weight to lose, and then you lose weight, you are going to be weak.  There are enough chemicals in your body making eating difficult that you don't need to start out thin and weak.  I never got so weak that I couldn't walk up the one flight of stairs to the infusion center.  

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