What We Have Learned About Combining a Ketogenic Diet and Chemoimmunotherapy: a Case Report and Review of Literature

A high-fat, moderate-protein, low-carbohydrate ketogenic diet has been reported in the literature as a treatment option for patients with cancer.

A 69-year-old veteran was initially diagnosed with stage III colorectal cancer and progressed to having liver, pancreatic, and omental lymph node involvement despite completing adjuvant FOLFOX (fluorouracil, leucovorin calcium, and oxaliplatin) after surgery. The patient was treated with FOLFIRI (fluorouracil, leucovorin calcium, and irinotecan hydrochloride) and bevacizumab, followed by encorafenib and cetuximab on progression. Subsequently, he received pembrolizumab but continued to progress. The patient was later placed on trifluridine/tipiracil and bevacizumab concurrent with a ketogenic diet. Positron emission tomography and carcinoembryonic antigen levels indicated disease stabilization for 10 months. On progression, the patient was transitioned to ipilumimab and nivolumab and continued to adhere to the ketogenic diet. The patient's disease has continued to remain stable for the past 1 year. His degree of ketosis was determined using the glucose ketone index. The patient continues to have a good quality of life during concurrent ketogenic diet and therapy.

This case supports the tolerability of the ketogenic diet along with chemotherapy and immunotherapy and should be considered as an adjunct to standard cancer treatment. In this report, we reviewed the latest literature about cellular mechanism of the ketogenic diet and the efficacy and relationship with chemotherapy and immunotherapy. We are about to open a ketogenic diet protocol at the Veterans Affairs Central California Health Care System in Fresno.