Ketogenic metabolic therapy in conjunction with standard treatment for glioblastoma: A case report

Oncol Lett. 2024 Mar 26;27(5):230. doi: 10.3892/ol.2024.14363. eCollection 2024 May.ABSTRACTGlioblastoma (GBM) is the most common primary malignant brain tumour in adults. The standard of care consists of surgical resection and concurrent chemoradiation, followed by adjuvant temozolomide chemotherapy. This protocol is associated with a median survival of 12-15 months, and <5% of patients survive >3 years. Ketogenic metabolic therapy (KMT) targets cancer cell metabolism by restricting glucose availability and evoking differential stress resistance and sensitization, which may augment the standard treatments and lead to therapeutic benefit. The present study reports the case of a 64-year-old woman with isocitrate dehydrogenase (IDH)-wildtype GBM who pursued the standard treatment protocol in conjunction with an intensive, multimodal KMT program for 3 years. The KMT program consisted of a series of prolonged (7-day, fluid-only) fasts, which were specifically timed to maximize the tolerability and efficacy of the standard treatments, combined with a time-restricted ketogenic diet on all other days. During the first and second treatment years the patient sustained a glucose ketone index (GKI) of 1.65 and 2.02, respectively, which coincided with complete clinical improvement, a healthy body-mass index and a high quality of life, with no visible progressive tumour detected on imaging at the end of the second year. In the setting of the death of an immediate family member leadi...
Source: Oncology Letters - Category: Cancer & Oncology Authors: Source Type: research