Introduction. An absolute burden of over 35 million new cancer cases is predicted by 2050. Although significant progress has been made in the field of oncology via the use of surgical removal, radiation treatment, chemotherapy, and the introduction of immunotherapy, the overall rates of survival and prognoses for cancer patients are still unsatisfactory. In the last decade, intermittent fasting (IF) has become increasingly popular for weight control and potential health benefits. Additionally, research has primarily focused on investigating the impact of IF on metabolism, mitochondrial function, stress responses, repair mechanisms, and autophagy.
The aim of the study. To make a literature review about the role of intermittent fasting in starving cancer cells.
Materials and methods. This narrative review involved a comprehensive search through databases such as PubMed and Google Scholar. Distinct keywords such as - ″intermittent fasting″, ″intermittent fasting regimens″, ″calorie restriction″, ″oncology″, ″chemotherapy″ and ″tumor microenvironment″ were used.
Results. IF exhibits significant impacts on the immune system's ability to fight against tumors by strengthening the ability of hematopoietic stem cells to replenish themselves and enhance immunosuppression. Under an IF program, certain tissues and organs exhibit enhanced resilience to various stressors. Emerging research shows that IF has the potential to enhance the effectiveness and tolerance of anticancer medicines, regulate carcinogenic influences, reprogram clock genes' rhythmic expression in tumor environments, inhibit tumor growth by modifying natural processes like insulin signalling, heme oxygenase-1, prevent the proliferation of myeloid-derived suppressor cells and priming the tumor microenvironment to support drug delivery that targets tumors. Cancer treatment via IF notably shields normal cells while raising the efficacy of chemotherapy (CT) and reducing CT-induced inflammation via several immunological, biochemical, and molecular mechanisms.
Conclusions. Regularly practising fasting for more than one day may confer notable health benefits by protecting healthy normal cells against the deleterious effects of chemotherapy and radiation. The synergistic therapeutic impact of intermittent fasting alongside chemotherapy on tumors suggests that it enhances the efficacy of chemotherapy while also notably reducing chemotherapy-induced inflammation. While intermittent fasting shows promise for certain cancers, such as breast cancer, its efficacy for other types remains uncertain, necessitating further research and personalized treatment plans.