Nutritional Alternatives for Cancer Patients

Susan G. Wynn DVM, CVA

Home cooking

With the exception of canine lymphoma, there is no accepted dietary recommendation for cancer patients. Veterinarians and pet owners interested in alternatives or complements to conventional practice often shun commercial diets, and some cancer patients refuse them, as well. We have used a variety of home-prepared and commercial diets for our cancer patients. Based on Ogilvie’s work using low carbohydrate, moderate fat and moderate protein diets for lymphoma patients (Ogilvie, 1998), we have used homemade diets that reduce carbohydrates while providing quality protein, presumably appropriate fat and fatty acid profiles, and high levels of nutrient rich vegetables.

Rule number one is to KEEP THEM EATING, so we don't stand on principle if our patients dislike our cooking. On the other hand, the majority of canine and feline patients appear to improve in general condition after becoming acclimated to the diet below, and we assume that their general improvement bodes well for the course of their disease, at least to optimize survival times.

Here are guidelines for cooking for cancer patients:

50% fish or poultry
50% mixed frozen or fresh vegetables.
Olive oil as a source of fat calories - about 1 tsp per 20lbs of body weight
A vitamin-mineral supplement according to label directions if a veterinary product
A calcium source - preferably from bonemeal or Tums - about 250mg per 15 pounds of body weight

Many people use a crock pot to stew all ingredients together. Some prefer to steam the vegetables, add the cooked meat, and throw everything into a food mill so that it looks like commercial canned food. Raw meat is never recommended for animals undergoing chemotherapy or who are immunesuppressed in any way. This recipe is NOT balanced - the patient and the recipe should be re-evaluated frequently in order to adjust the recipe according to the animal’s weight, disease progression, and other changes in condition.

There are a number of spices shown to have anti-neoplastic activity that will also improve the flavor of this recipe. Garlic may induce differentiation and apoptosis in some tumor cell lines (Li, 1998), (Thatte, 2000). Turmeric, the yellow (and rather mild) spice that gives curry its yellow color, has recognized cancer preventive activity, but of importance for cancer patients, turmeric is antioxidant and induces liver detoxification enzymes (Piper, 1998) . Try FRESH minced garlic - about 1 clove per 40 lbs of body weight, and turmeric, about 1 tsp per 50lbs of body weight.

Nutritional Supplements

Antioxidants are often recommended for cancer patients; they may slow proliferation of neoplastic cells and reduce adverse effects of chemotherapy. While many believe that antioxidants interfere with chemotherapy, others suggest that they actually enhance the effects of chemotherapy (Conklin, 2000). Antioxidants such as Vitamin C, E, selenium and the antioxidant enzymes are mutually dependant on each other for their generation and activity. For this reason, antioxidants should be provided as a broad spectrum, rather than singly.

Fish oil (salmon or menhaden body oil) appears to have antiproliferative activity in some tumor cell lines, antimetastatic activity in laboratory animals, and anti-cachectic activity in human patients (Rose, 1999), (Sauer, 2000). It is frequently recommended for canine and feline cancer patients at a rate of 1 regular strength capsule (300mg of DHA and EPA) per 15 lbs of body weight.

Summary

None of the nutritional therapies discussed have proven effects, used alone, in specific cancers of canine or feline patients. This author uses them in most clinical cases presented, however, based on clinical success in the past. If cancer patients feel good enough to tolerate the diet change and supplements, this regimen of low carbohydrate homemade diet with therapeutic spices, antioxidants and fish oil can improve and maintain good physical condition in a number of patients.

References

Conklin KA. Dietary antioxidants during cancer chemotherapy: impact on chemotherapeutic effectiveness and development of side effecgts. Nutr Cancer 2000;37(1):1-18

Li X; Xie J; Li W. Garlic oil induces differentiation and apoptosis of human gastric cancer cell line. Chung Hua Chung Liu Tsa Chih 1998 Sep;20(5):325-7

Ogilvie GK. Interventional nutrition for the cancer patient. Clin Tech Small Anim Pract 1998 Nov;13(4):224-31

Piper JT; Singhal SS; Salameh MS; Torman RT; Awasthi YC; Awasthi S. Mechanisms of anticarcinogenic properties of curcumin: the effect of curcumin on glutathione linked detoxification enzymes in rat liver. Int J Biochem Cell Biol 1998 Apr;30(4):445-56

Rose DP; Connolly JM. Omega-3 fatty acids as cancer chemopreventive agents. Pharmacol Ther 1999 Sep;83(3):217-44

Sauer LA; Dauchy RT; Blask DE. Mechanism for the antitumor and anticachectic effects of n-3 fatty acids. Cancer Res 2000 Sep 15;60(18):5289-95

Thatte U; Bagadey S; Dahanukar S. Modulation of programmed cell death by medicinal plants. Cell Mol Biol 2000 Feb;46(1):199-214