Study: In Prostate Cancer, Intermittent Fasting Found to Enhance Efficacy of Therapy

Proteins, carbohydrates and fats are necessary for the uncontrolled growth of cancer cells and the typical Western diet in particular, with its heavy animal fat and protein content, has been linked to increased incidence of cancer and poor prognosis.

Consequently, caloric restriction has emerged as a potential strategy for reducing the incidence of cancer and delaying cancer progression. It has been shown in preclinical models to reduce circulating growth factors and hormones that promote cancer.

“Diet can have a significant impact on the biology of prostate cancer and dietary interventions should be seen as an adjuvant tool,” says Roberto Pili, MD, corresponding author and associate dean for cancer research and integrative oncology in the Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences at the University at Buffalo. A professor of medicine, he also serves as chief of the Division of Hematology/Oncology at UBMD Internal Medicine and director of the Jacobs School’s Center for Nutritional Sciences and Cancer Therapeutics.

Kirk A. Staschke, PhD, of  the Indiana University Melvin and Bren Simon Comprehensive Cancer Center and the IU School of Medicine, is co-corresponding author.

The team found that in mouse models of prostate cancer, restricting the consumption of protein, fats and carbohydrates through alternate-day fasting reduces androgen receptor expression and signaling, enhancing the antitumor activity of the androgen receptor inhibitor enzalutamide.

The results demonstrate that alternate-day fasting reduced amino acid levels and global protein synthesis within prostate cancer tumors, making tumors more sensitive to the drug. The benefit was demonstrated in multiple mouse models of prostate cancer.

In addition to the preclinical work, Pili is recruiting patients for a clinical trial on restricted eating in prostate cancer patients who are receiving hormone therapy as well as a clinical trial with plant-based diet and  caloric restriction for  cancer patients receiving chemotherapy. 

“The goal is to complete the ongoing clinical trials and to learn more about the impact of dietary restrictions on the biology of prostate cancer and other hormone-driven tumors, such as breast cancer,” says Pili.

Co-authors with Pili and Staschke are from the Indiana University School of Medicine, Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, the University of Sydney and Royal Prince Alfred Hospital in Sydney.

Funding was provided by the National Institutes of Health, the Showalter Trust, the Prostate Cancer Foundation, the Department of Defense, Indiana University, the American Cancer Society, the Lilly Endowment Inc., the Bakewell Foundation and the Australian Youth and Health Foundation.