Dieting on Radiation Therapy May Improve Outcomes for Breast Cancer Patients

Newswise — PHILADELPHIA— In February, researchers at Jefferson’s Kimmel Cancer Center will begin a first-of-its-kind clinical trial that uses calorie restriction to help treat early stage breast cancer patients undergoing radiation therapy.

Evidence suggests that reducing patients’ calorie intake could help shrink tumors and improve survival because it enhances the effectiveness of radiation therapy, the team explains in a recent review published in the Oncologist.

“In our research, we’ve seen a 30 percent reduction in tumor size in mice, and they live much longer than mice not on a diet,” said Nicole Simone, M.D., Principal Investigator and Assistant Professor of Radiation Oncology at Thomas Jefferson University and Hospitals. “The next step is to investigate if early stage breast cancer patients are able to adhere to caloric restriction while on radiation. This will then allow us to determine others benefits and factors, such as toxicity, recurrence, and survival.”

source: Newswise