3 ms·

From a non-medical professional's perspective it doesn't seem that strange. Medical treatments for cancer include "let's slowly irradiate you and hope the cance

From a non-medical professional's perspective it doesn't seem that strange. Medical treatments for cancer include "let's slowly irradiate you and hope the cancer dies first" and "let's slowly poison you and hope the cancer dies first". "let's slowly starve you to death and hope the cancer dies first" doesn't seem all that different.

Blikkentrekker 6y ago
Such treatments attempt to concentrate the radiation and poison where the cancer is, however.
- excannuck 6y ago
  Insofar as cancer cells need more energy, starvation is also specific.
- peterdemic 6y ago
  That is not entirely true... The prevalent chemotherapy is detrimental to cells all over the body and it has no way of distinguishing cancel cells vs non-cancer cells. Targeted therapies are different and are becoming more widely used but are still small in percentage of patients compared to "classic" chemotherapy.
  - PeterisP 6y ago
    "the prevalent chemotherapy is detrimental to cells all over the body" I'm not a doctor, but isn't the case that the prevalent chemotherapy is detrimental to new/growing cells all over the body, which is a way of distinguishing cancer cells (and a few types of tissue e.g. hair) vs most types of non-cancer cells?
    - peterdemic 6y ago
      Yes, that's correct! My bad for not being more clear!
  - TrackerFF 6y ago
    Quite some time I had classes on this - but I believe chemo (some at least?) is designed to attack cells with same growth-rate as cancer cells. So they're not attacking just everything in a non-discriminatory fashion - but cells with similar growth as cancer cells, become collateral damage, so to speak. This is why some chemo will result in for example hairloss; Because the cancer you're being treated for, has the same growth rate as the cells in your hair - and thus the chemo will also kill those cells.
kzrdude 6y ago
Cancer cells are among the fastest growing cells. Limiting available nutrition - specifically for growth - should do them the most damage, is the thinking.
datavirtue 6y ago
Starved of excess sugar. Not food in general.

Blikkentrekker 6y ago

Such treatments attempt to concentrate the radiation and poison where the cancer is, however.

excannuck 6y ago
Insofar as cancer cells need more energy, starvation is also specific.
peterdemic 6y ago
That is not entirely true... The prevalent chemotherapy is detrimental to cells all over the body and it has no way of distinguishing cancel cells vs non-cancer cells. Targeted therapies are different and are becoming more widely used but are still small in percentage of patients compared to "classic" chemotherapy.
- PeterisP 6y ago
  "the prevalent chemotherapy is detrimental to cells all over the body" I'm not a doctor, but isn't the case that the prevalent chemotherapy is detrimental to new/growing cells all over the body, which is a way of distinguishing cancer cells (and a few types of tissue e.g. hair) vs most types of non-cancer cells?
  - peterdemic 6y ago
    Yes, that's correct! My bad for not being more clear!
- TrackerFF 6y ago
  Quite some time I had classes on this - but I believe chemo (some at least?) is designed to attack cells with same growth-rate as cancer cells. So they're not attacking just everything in a non-discriminatory fashion - but cells with similar growth as cancer cells, become collateral damage, so to speak. This is why some chemo will result in for example hairloss; Because the cancer you're being treated for, has the same growth rate as the cells in your hair - and thus the chemo will also kill those cells.

kzrdude 6y ago

Cancer cells are among the fastest growing cells. Limiting available nutrition - specifically for growth - should do them the most damage, is the thinking.

datavirtue 6y ago

Starved of excess sugar. Not food in general.