(P13-031-23) Antitumor Effects of the Ketogenic Diet on Hemangiosarcoma: Case Report

Objectives: The Ketogenic Diet (KD), a high-fat, low-carbohydrate, adequate protein diet, has recently been proposed as an adjuvant therapy in cancer treatment. KDs target the Warburg effect, a biochemical phenomenon in which cancer cells predominantly utilize glycolysis instead of oxidative phosphorylation to produce ATP.

Methods: The dog, a 14 year old, male mix dog was submitted on a ketogenic diet after diagnosis of hemangiosarcoma. A ketogenic diet was adopted as adjunct treatment in tis case. It consists in the replacement of carbohydrates by healthy fats, which are converted to ketones, and in the intake of moderate amounts of high quality protein to metabolize ketone bodies as an alternative fuel, when glucose availability is low. Some cancers lack the ability to metabolize ketone bodies, due to mitochondrial dysfunction and down-regulation of enzymes necessary for ketone utilization. Thus, the rationale in providing a fat-rich, low-carbohydrate diet in cancer therapy is to reduce circulating glucose levels and induce ketosis such that cancer cells are starved of energy while normal cells adapt their metabolism to use ketone bodies and survive. Furthermore, by reducing blood glucose also levels of insulin and insulin-like growth factor, which are important drivers of cancer cell proliferation, drop.

Results: This cancer consists in malignant tumor originating from vascular endothelium and historically reported survival times after surgical excision range from 12 months. After três years of (KD) therapy, the tumor associated inflammation was completely reduced and no more lesions were found during clinical exams. This dog showed significant improvement and came back to her normal life and activities right in the beginning of the therapy. Today, he has a healthy, happy and very active life.

Conclusions: In conclusion, clinical application of KDs as an adjuvant therapy for cancer patients first requires that the KD be evaluated for its anti-tumor effect for each single type/genetic subtype of cancer in a preclinical setting, as the safety and efficacy of the KD strongly depend on the tumor entity and its genotype. Based on the results of rigorous preclinical and clinical studies performed thus far, the KD would appear to be a promising and powerful option for adjuvant therapy for a range of cancers.

Funding Sources: Do Terra Science