e15709

Background: Because many cancer cells display increased levels of glucose transporters that conduct glucose uptake and cancer cells use up to ten times more glucose than normal cells, glucide restrictions may be an effective nutritional therapy for patients with cancer. We introduced and examined effectiveness of modified medium-chain triglyceride (MCT) ketogenic diets with added MCT oil to suppress abdominal symptoms, as a severe carbohydrate intake restriction diet for patients with colon cancer. Methods: We administered chemotherapy in combination with the modified MCT ketogenic diet at a ratio of 1.4:1 for one year in 10 patients with stage IV recurrent colon cancer who experienced exacerbations under standard therapy (chemotherapy, best supportive care). Weight, albumin levels, presence of total blood ketone bodies, Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors (RECIST) classifications, and Quality of Life (QOL) evaluations were compared between patients in ketogenic diet group and 14 patients in the chemotherapy-alone group. Results: Although the patients’weight and serum albumin levels did not significantly differ in both groups, the serum total ketone bodies were significantly increased in the ketogenic diet group. The chemotherapy-alone group displayed a response rate of 21% and disease control rate of 64% across three Partial Response (PR), six Stable Disease (SD), and five Progressive Disease (PD) cases, but not in the Complete Response (CR) cases. The ketogenic diet group exhibited a response rate of 60% and disease control rate of 70% across five CR, one PR, one SD, and three PD cases. The combination of chemotherapy with the one year ketogenic diet increased the CR rates by 50%. Conclusions: Chemotherapy for one year in combination with a ketogenic diet presents higher response and disease control rates than chemotherapy alone. Therefore, the ketogenic diet may be a supportive therapy for patients with stage IV colon cancer. Clinical trial information: 000029527.