Selective Administration of Polyamine-Deficient and Polyamine-Free Diets to Cancer Patients

Abstract

Aliphatic polyamines (putrescin, spermidine, spermine and cadaverine) play an important role in the induction of neoplastic processes leading to cell malignancy. In malignantly transformed cells, a high level of aliphatic polyamines has been observed, which ensures their steady anaplastic growth. This is precisely why elevated levels of the aforementioned polyamines are considered as diagnostic and prognostic criteria for a wide range of oncological diseases. In several developed countries, cancer patients are advised to follow a low-polyamine diet, including specifically those food products that are identified in the general nutrient registry as having low levels of aliphatic polyamines. However, when recommending such a diet, many researchers did not pay attention to the fact that in different food products, the ratio of polyamine levels often varies within very wide limits. Therefore, as some researchers report a polyamine-deficient diet prescribed to cancer patients is not always effective. We analyzed various literary sources and identified products that do not contain polyamines or contain them in very low quantities. Based on the analysis of available literary data, when patients are admitted to oncology clinics, along with generally accepted laboratory diagnostic criteria, it is necessary to include diagnostic indicators for determining the levels of aliphatic polyamines in erythrocytes and blood plasma, including putrescine, spermidine, spermine, and cadaverine. Due to this approach, oncologists and nutritionists may have a real opportunity to prescribe a selective polyamine-deficient diet. For patients with advanced cancer, we recommend the use of a polyamine-free diet instead of a polyamine-deficient one.