Appearance
Intermittent fasting in the prevention and treatment of cancer.
Literature Information
| DOI | 10.3322/caac.21694 |
|---|---|
| PMID | 34383300 |
| Journal | CA: a cancer journal for clinicians |
| Impact Factor | 232.4 |
| JCR Quartile | Q1 |
| Publication Year | 2021 |
| Times Cited | 62 |
| Keywords | caloric restriction, fasting, neoplasms, obesity |
| Literature Type | Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't, Review |
| ISSN | 0007-9235 |
| Pages | 527-546 |
| Issue | 71(6) |
| Authors | Katherine K Clifton, Cynthia X Ma, Luigi Fontana, Lindsay L Peterson |
TL;DR
This review discusses the growing interest in intermittent fasting (IF) as an alternative to chronic caloric restriction (CR) for cancer prevention and treatment, highlighting its popularity among patients despite controversial findings from rodent studies and a lack of high-quality human trials. While preliminary evidence suggests that IF may be safe and could reduce chemotherapy-related toxicity, the authors caution against its recommendation for cancer patients outside clinical trials due to unclear effects on cancer-related pathways.
Search for more papers on MaltSci.com
caloric restriction · fasting · neoplasms · obesity
Abstract
Chronic caloric restriction (CR) has powerful anticarcinogenic actions in both preclinical and clinical studies but may be difficult to sustain. As an alternative to CR, there has been growing interest in intermittent fasting (IF) in both the scientific and lay community as a result of promising study results, mainly in experimental animal models. According to a survey by the International Food Information Council Foundation, IF has become the most popular diet in the last year, and patients with cancer are seeking advice from oncologists about its beneficial effects for cancer prevention and treatment. However, as discussed in this review, results from IF studies in rodents are controversial and suggest potential detrimental effects in certain oncologic conditions. The effects of IF on human cancer incidence and prognosis remain unknown because of a lack of high-quality randomized clinical trials. Preliminary studies suggest that prolonged fasting in some patients who have cancer is safe and potentially capable of decreasing chemotherapy-related toxicity and tumor growth. However, because additional trials are needed to elucidate the risks and benefits of fasting for patients with cancer, the authors would not currently recommend patients undergoing active cancer treatment partake in IF outside the context of a clinical trial. IF may be considered in adults seeking cancer-prevention benefits through means of weight management, but whether IF itself affects cancer-related metabolic and molecular pathways remains unanswered.
MaltSci.com AI Research Service
Intelligent ReadingAnswer any question about the paper and explain complex charts and formulas
Locate StatementsFind traces of a specific claim within the paper
Add to KBasePerform data extraction, report drafting, and advanced knowledge mining
Primary Questions Addressed
- What specific mechanisms of intermittent fasting may contribute to cancer prevention or treatment?
- How does intermittent fasting compare to traditional caloric restriction in terms of safety and efficacy for cancer patients?
- Are there particular types of cancer for which intermittent fasting has shown more promise in preliminary studies?
- What are the potential risks associated with intermittent fasting for patients currently undergoing cancer treatment?
- How might intermittent fasting influence cancer-related metabolic pathways and molecular mechanisms in humans?
Key Findings
1. Research Background and Purpose: The study investigates the potential role of intermittent fasting (IF) in the prevention and treatment of cancer. Chronic caloric restriction (CR) has been shown to have significant anti-carcinogenic effects in various preclinical and clinical studies but poses challenges in long-term adherence. With the rising popularity of IF, particularly among cancer patients seeking dietary interventions, the review aims to evaluate the existing evidence on IF's efficacy and safety in cancer contexts, comparing it to the well-established benefits of CR.
2. Main Methods and Findings: The review synthesizes findings from both experimental animal models and preliminary human studies. It highlights a growing body of research that indicates IF may have beneficial effects, particularly concerning toxicity reduction during chemotherapy and possibly inhibiting tumor growth. However, the results from rodent studies are mixed, indicating that IF could have adverse effects in certain cancer types. Notably, the review emphasizes the lack of high-quality randomized clinical trials in humans to conclusively determine the impact of IF on cancer incidence and prognosis. The authors found preliminary evidence suggesting that prolonged fasting might be safe for some cancer patients, yet they caution against recommending IF for patients undergoing active treatment outside clinical trial settings.
3. Core Conclusions: The authors conclude that while intermittent fasting shows promise as a dietary strategy for cancer prevention and potential treatment, significant gaps in research remain. The contradictory results from animal studies and the absence of definitive human trials necessitate caution in applying IF as a standard recommendation for cancer patients. The review advocates for more rigorous clinical investigations to clarify the risks and benefits of IF in oncology settings.
4. Research Significance and Impact: This review highlights a crucial area of interest in cancer research and nutrition, reflecting a shift towards exploring dietary interventions beyond traditional methods. The findings underscore the importance of evidence-based approaches in dietary recommendations for cancer patients. The potential of IF as a means of weight management and its hypothesized effects on metabolic and molecular pathways related to cancer could pave the way for new preventive strategies. However, the emphasis on the necessity of further research illustrates the complexities of integrating dietary practices into cancer care, ultimately aiming to enhance patient outcomes and inform future clinical guidelines.
Literatures Citing This Work
- Deciphering the nonsense-mediated mRNA decay pathway to identify cancer cell vulnerabilities for effective cancer therapy. - Roberta Bongiorno;Mario Paolo Colombo;Daniele Lecis - Journal of experimental & clinical cancer research : CR (2021)
- Calorie Restriction for Cancer Prevention and Therapy: Mechanisms, Expectations, and Efficacy. - Chiara Vidoni;Alessandra Ferraresi;Andrea Esposito;Chinmay Maheshwari;Danny N Dhanasekaran;Vincenzo Mollace;Ciro Isidoro - Journal of cancer prevention (2021)
- Metabolomics and the Multi-Omics View of Cancer. - David Wishart - Metabolites (2022)
- Scientific Evidences of Calorie Restriction and Intermittent Fasting for Neuroprotection in Traumatic Brain Injury Animal Models: A Review of the Literature. - Yang Xu;Zejie Liu;Shuting Xu;Chengxian Li;Manrui Li;Shuqiang Cao;Yuwen Sun;Hao Dai;Yadong Guo;Xiameng Chen;Weibo Liang - Nutrients (2022)
- The Bone Marrow Microenvironment in B-Cell Development and Malignancy. - Anastasia M Hughes;Vincent Kuek;Rishi S Kotecha;Laurence C Cheung - Cancers (2022)
- Association of Daily Eating Duration and Day-To-Day Variability in the Timing of Eating With Fatal Cancer Risk in Older Men. - Elisa M S Meth;Lieve T van Egmond;Thiago C Moulin;Jonathan Cedernaes;Fredrik Rosqvist;Christian Benedict - Frontiers in nutrition (2022)
- Dietary Intakes of Animal and Plant Proteins and Risk of Colorectal Cancer: The EPIC-Italy Cohort. - Sabina Sieri;Claudia Agnoli;Valeria Pala;Sara Grioni;Domenico Palli;Benedetta Bendinelli;Alessandra Macciotta;Fulvio Ricceri;Salvatore Panico;Maria Santucci De Magistris;Rosario Tumino;Luigi Fontana;Vittorio Krogh - Cancers (2022)
- Effect of fasting on cancer: A narrative review of scientific evidence. - Sagun Tiwari;Namrata Sapkota;Zhenxiang Han - Cancer science (2022)
- Obesity, cancer risk, and time-restricted eating. - Manasi Das;Nicholas J G Webster - Cancer metastasis reviews (2022)
- Hypothesis: Mutations and Immunosurveillance in Obesity-Associated Colorectal Cancer. - Darina Lazarova;Michael Bordonaro - Journal of Cancer (2022)
... (52 more literatures)
© 2025 MaltSci - We reshape scientific research with AI technology