GBM Brain Cancer

My father is diognosed with GBM, 2 tumors with size 7cm in temporal region and 4cm in optical region. He was completely fine 15 days back. Doctor has reduced one tumor through surgery which is now 5 cm. But now post the diagnosis and surgery his health is depleting rapidly. We have been told that he has 6 months to 2 yrs. Radiations and chemotherapy will be starting soon.

I am in search of some alternative medicnies and therapy. Can someone through light on immunotherapy and its presence in India? Also, is there any other therapy/power foods/treatments which help him sustain the radiations. What else can we as family do and expect in the coming weeks?

 

Thanks

Preeti Vipat 

Comments

  • peterz54
    peterz54 Member Posts: 341
    edited February 2018 #2
    Yes - some non-toxic options that may help

    Start with this talk by Arienne Scheck, PhD

    She is just one researher who is finding support for use of dietary methods to enhance (greatly in some cases) the effects of standard therapy, expecially radiation.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jUHoCPvsS_I

    Then Prof. Thomas Seyfried:

    Especially the segment starting at 13:20

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OjpmPtz777s

    I will post others by researchers, oncolgologists, and cancer nutritionists later.   

    In mean time:

    - Get off of simple carbs & starches which increase glucose/insulin

    - No excess protein as it increases growth factors which can drive tumor growth

    - Going into each treatment session in a calorie restricted or fasted state helps redulce side effects and makes the tumor more sensitive to treatment

     

     

     

  • peterz54
    peterz54 Member Posts: 341
    edited February 2018 #3
    Radiation effectiveness and diet

    This short talk by Rainer Klement (physicist who works in radiation oncology) radiation effectiveness under specific dietary conditions.  You might want to start at about 6:20.   

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JFcqTNHTeu0

    The diet is called "ketogenic" because the macronutrient mix is shifted away from simple carbs/sugars and starches towards more fat, which causes the liver to produce ketones.   For therapuetic effects the is reason to believe that the diet should also be calorie restriced to some degree, at least for a few days leading into each treatment session.  Fasting will also cause ketone production.

    A short talk by radiation oncologist Colin Champ MD:

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iO7Y6rE3UBw

     

     

  • Preeti Vipat
    Preeti Vipat Member Posts: 4
    peterz54 said:

    Yes - some non-toxic options that may help

    Start with this talk by Arienne Scheck, PhD

    She is just one researher who is finding support for use of dietary methods to enhance (greatly in some cases) the effects of standard therapy, expecially radiation.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jUHoCPvsS_I

    Then Prof. Thomas Seyfried:

    Especially the segment starting at 13:20

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OjpmPtz777s

    I will post others by researchers, oncolgologists, and cancer nutritionists later.   

    In mean time:

    - Get off of simple carbs & starches which increase glucose/insulin

    - No excess protein as it increases growth factors which can drive tumor growth

    - Going into each treatment session in a calorie restricted or fasted state helps redulce side effects and makes the tumor more sensitive to treatment

     

     

     

    Thanks for the help. We have

    Thanks for the help. We have stopped with all sugar. small amount of carbs are still included in his diet. Will go through the links asap. which are the other foods to be avoided and to be considered in his diet??

  • peterz54
    peterz54 Member Posts: 341

    Thanks for the help. We have

    Thanks for the help. We have stopped with all sugar. small amount of carbs are still included in his diet. Will go through the links asap. which are the other foods to be avoided and to be considered in his diet??

    Another resource...

     this video with Miriam Kalamian whose son had brain cancer.   She is a professisonal nutritionist who has adopted research based dietary methods and advices oncologist and patients.  Lots of good advice in this talk.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LMsaejxm6iI&t=1210s

    Her new book (Available at Amazon)

    https://www.dietarytherapies.com/keto-for-cancer/

     

  • Preeti Vipat
    Preeti Vipat Member Posts: 4
    peterz54 said:

    Radiation effectiveness and diet

    This short talk by Rainer Klement (physicist who works in radiation oncology) radiation effectiveness under specific dietary conditions.  You might want to start at about 6:20.   

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JFcqTNHTeu0

    The diet is called "ketogenic" because the macronutrient mix is shifted away from simple carbs/sugars and starches towards more fat, which causes the liver to produce ketones.   For therapuetic effects the is reason to believe that the diet should also be calorie restriced to some degree, at least for a few days leading into each treatment session.  Fasting will also cause ketone production.

    A short talk by radiation oncologist Colin Champ MD:

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iO7Y6rE3UBw

     

     

    need insights on Ketogenic diet

    Have gone through these links. They enphasize on Ketogenic diet. Need to understand the diet more.. what to include and what not.. Dad has a good aount of swelling in brain due to tumor and radiations.are there some natural ways to reduce the swelling? He is currently put on lot of steriods , which is keeping him normal. Need to find out othe ways to fight this disease after chemo and radiations are over.  Please Help..

  • peterz54
    peterz54 Member Posts: 341
    Basics and meal plans

    Yes, they are often ketogenic, but that covers a lot of ground.   Basically it's really low carb and modest to low protein with the remainder good fat.  Some advocate staying on a strick version of this during therapy then letting up being a little more moderate when the person is past therapy and doing better.

    Besides the basic guidelines I mentioned above you can get the book "Keto for Cancer" which I mentioned above, or some resources (ebooks and had books) at Patricia Daly's site:

    https://patriciadaly.com/recipes/    see the materials on the right side of the page.   Patricia Daly is a cancer survivor (used a version of keto she learned about in Europe) and nutriionist who also advises patients and doctors.   Both Patricia and Miriam are good rescources and will provide much better detailed dietary advice than I can.   

    The Patricia Daly talk mihght be helpful as well

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DuHeTEFhiAY&t=1502s