Cancer
Ketogenic metabolic therapy in conjunction with standard treatment for glioblastoma: a case report
Glioblastoma (GBM) is a highly aggressive brain tumor with a median survival rate of 12 to 15 months under standard care, which includes surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy. The most common form of brain cancer in adults, GBM is challenging to treat due to its complex genetic makeup and the difficult environment it creates within the body. Despite aggressive treatment, fewer than 5% of patients survive beyond three years.
A recent case report documented the three-year experience of a 64-year-old female patient diagnosed with GBM who undertook intensive ketogenic metabolic therapy (KMT) as an adjunct to standard treatment protocols. KMT involved prolonged fasting, time-restricted eating, and a modified ketogenic diet to lower the glucose ketone index (GKI) and target cancer cells’ metabolic weaknesses.
After commencing KMT, the patient maintained an average GKI of 1.65 in the first year and 2.02 in the second year. She achieved tumor stability, with no progression on imaging. She also experienced a decrease in chronic pain, an improved sense of well-being, and a healthy reduction in BMI from 28 to 20.5.
In the third year, after the death of a family member, dramatically increased stress, and slightly reduced adherence to KMT resulting in a higher average GKI of 3.2, signs of cancer progression reappeared. Further treatments were initiated, but the patient’s condition declined. She passed away in the 38th month after diagnosis.
This case suggests that integrating KMT with standard GBM treatments may help maintain tumor stability and improve quality of life. Adherence to KMT was linked to positive outcomes, while relaxation of the diet coincided with disease progression, suggesting that a consistently low GKI may be key to KMT’s effectiveness. Further research is needed to confirm these findings.