Hi everyone. I'm new to this cancer support community even though I've been on other support groups on HU for a while. My hubby has just been diagnosed with squamous cell carcinoma ( in the soft palate region) and treatment is likely to be with radiation therapy.
I read somewhere that fasting and low carb diets deprive cancer cells of glucose, the only metabolite such cells can use, which lead to cell death and retardation of the cancer. Fasting also helps to reduce the after effects of both radiation therapy and chemotherapy. Somewhere else I also read that autophagy is retarded in cancer cells due to fasting. I'm a little confused. I just want to know if fasting and low carb diet would help or hinder him. Treatment is due to begin shortly and naturally I'd like to do the best for him that is possible for me to do.
Btw, doctors in India mostly follow very traditional Western methods as far as diet is concerned and they would probably think me a little crazy if I were to broach the subject of fasting.
Any guidance would be very appreciated. Thanks in advance.
Written by
gettingolder123
To view profiles and participate in discussions please or .
From my personal experience with breast cancer, fasting put my body into a protective state during chemo, while also making the cancer cells a lot more vulnerable to the chemo. It has been proven in lab studies at USC with rats receiving high doses of chemo. Those that fasted benefited and behaved normally, while those that did not were sluggish and eventually died. See Dr. Valter Longo studies and the documentary The Science of Fasting.
I have been fasting before my chemo treatments and the day of. I am petite and started at 106 pounds and have kept my weight stable at 105 throughout the fasting cycles. The only side affect I experienced was heavy fatigue and hair loss, but my digestion was fine, no vomiting or major nausea, bone pain, neuropathy. Food tasted good. I had the metallic taste for maybe a few hours the day after treatment and it went away, and never came back. I first had 4 cycles of the doxorubicin (Adriamycin) combined with the cyclophosphamide (Cytoxan) every 2 weeks. For the first fast (first treatment) which was challenging, I did a water fast (high PH water) - 2-3 liters a day for 48 hours before the treatment and 24 hours the day of treatment. So a total of 72 hours. For the 2nd, 3rd and 4th treatments, I did a 48 hour water fast instead, 24 hours before treatment and 24 hours the day of treatment. I did sneak in a hard boiled egg the night before treatment, since I was hungry. It did not affect the outcome with side effects, since the hard boiled egg was low in calories and fat.
Now with the second phase of chemo with Taxol for 12 weeks once a week I am doing a 36 hour fast. For example for my treatments that are on Tuesdays I will eat breakfast and lunch on Monday and fast after that drinking plenty of water. The day of treatment, I will fast, but at night, have a hard boiled egg and some nuts. As long as it's been 36 hours of fasting. So far so good. My body is holding up well. In between fasting I will eat a lot of food. What gives me an appetite is cannabis oil. I use cannabis oil without the psychoactive component called THC. I use oils and tinctures under the tongue. To help me sleep, I will take Melatonin lozenges under the tongue (5mg).
The documentary The Science of Fasting was a life saver for me. Also Google Dr. Valter Longo who heads up the research at USC discussing the benefits of fasting. Look up autophagy (recycling of cancer cells triggered by fasting).
Thank you so much for the reply. You seem to be having amazing success with fasting and cancer treatment and I wish you speedy recovery.
My hubby started radiation about a month ago. I asked the doctors here about autophagy and fasting and they all but bodily threw me out! Since he was having trouble swallowing, they put in a Rhyls tube for feeding and he now has to have liquid feeds every 2 hours.
Cannot argue with the docs.
Not what you're looking for?
Content on HealthUnlocked does not replace the relationship between you and doctors or other healthcare professionals nor the advice you receive from them.
Never delay seeking advice or dialling emergency services because of something that you have read on HealthUnlocked.
