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A ketogenic diet restricts carbohydrate so the body runs on ketones, on the theory that glioblastoma cells depend on glucose while neurons can burn ketones. Small trials show it is safe and achievable for three to six months with supervision, but none has shown a benefit against the tumour, and adherence beyond three months is poor.
Glioblastoma cells rely heavily on glycolysis, whereas normal brain can use ketone bodies, so a ketogenic diet has a plausible rationale that mouse models partly support. Human evidence is limited to feasibility studies and small randomised trials: the ERGO trial (recurrent GBM, feasibility), ERGO2 (50 patients, calorie-restricted ketogenic diet plus fasting during re-irradiation, no PFS benefit), KETOCAN and modified Atkins studies with temozolomide and radiotherapy showing achievable ketosis and acceptable tolerability but no efficacy signal that survives scrutiny. Adherence beyond three months is poor, weight loss is common, and steroid-induced hyperglycaemia undermines ketosis. The honest position is that it is an open question with a weak prior, not a treatment, and patients who choose it should do so inside a trial with dietitian support.
Carbohydrate restriction lowers blood glucose and raises ketones; the hypothesis is that tumour cells with mitochondrial dysfunction cannot oxidise ketones efficiently while neurons can.
Query for this technology: (TITLE:"Ketogenic diets in glioblastoma" OR ABSTRACT:"Ketogenic diets in glioblastoma") AND (cancer OR tumor OR tumour OR oncology OR carcinoma OR lymphoma OR leukemia OR leukaemia OR myeloma OR sarcoma OR melanoma OR glioma). Results are unfiltered search hits about Ketogenic diets in glioblastoma, not a curated reading list.
Shares Ask about diet at diagnosis, and prebunk the myths before the internet does, Unproven diet claims (alkaline, juice, 'anti-cancer' diets), Misinformation and unproven therapies.
Shares Ask about diet at diagnosis, and prebunk the myths before the internet does, Unproven diet claims (alkaline, juice, 'anti-cancer' diets), Misinformation and unproven therapies.
Shares Warburg-effect diet claims ('sugar feeds cancer'), Metabolic therapy: starving the tumour of a nutrient, Diet, exercise and lifestyle roadmap: causes established → interventions that disappointed → exercise proven as treatment, PI3K / AKT / mTOR.
Shares Unproven diet claims (alkaline, juice, 'anti-cancer' diets), Diet, exercise and lifestyle roadmap: causes established → interventions that disappointed → exercise proven as treatment, Misinformation and unproven therapies, Failures are hidden.
Shares Warburg-effect diet claims ('sugar feeds cancer'), Unproven diet claims (alkaline, juice, 'anti-cancer' diets), Misinformation and unproven therapies.
Shares Warburg effect, Warburg-effect diet claims ('sugar feeds cancer'), Metabolic theory of cancer: from Warburg to oncometabolites.
Shares Glycaemic index and glycaemic load, Warburg-effect diet claims ('sugar feeds cancer'), Diet, exercise and lifestyle roadmap: causes established → interventions that disappointed → exercise proven as treatment, Misinformation and unproven therapies.
Shares Warburg effect, Metabolic therapy: starving the tumour of a nutrient, Metabolic theory of cancer: from Warburg to oncometabolites, Glioma & glioblastoma.