addonfinal2
What Foods are Recommended for Cancer?
is a very common question. Personalized Nutrition Plans are foods and supplements which are personalized to a cancer indication, genes, any treatments and lifestyle conditions.

Foods for Poems Syndrome!

Jul 28, 2023

4.7
(38)
Estimated reading time: 12 minutes
Home » Blogs » Foods for Poems Syndrome!

Introduction

Foods for Poems Syndrome should be personalized for each individual and also must adapt when cancer treatment or tumor genetic change. The personalization and adaptation must consider all the active ingredients or bioactives contained in different foods with respect to cancer tissue biology, genetics, treatments, lifestyle conditions and diet preferences. Hence while nutrition is one of the very important decisions for a cancer patient and individual at risk of cancer to make – how to choose foods to eat is not an easy task.

POEMS is an acronym that stands for the five major signs and symptoms of this syndrome which include Polyneuropathy, Organomegaly, Endocrinopathy, Monoclonal gammopathy and Skin abnormalities. It is an extremely rare syndrome that is caused by an abnormal immune response by the body to a cancerous tumor, in which the body accidently attacks normal cells in the nervous system. Studies have reported abnormally high levels of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and pro-inflammatory cytokines in the blood of individuals with POEMS syndrome. POEMS syndrome occurs 1.5 times more frequently among men than women and more commonly occurs in adults in their 50s. Common symptoms of POEMS syndrome include progressive weakness of the nerves in the arms and legs, an abnormally enlarged liver and / or spleen, enlarged lymph nodes, darkening of the skin, thickening of the skin and excessive hair growth. POEMS syndrome is a chronic disorder, and its prognosis depends on the extent of the disease and the individuals’ response to treatment. There is no standard treatment for POEMS syndrome. Treatment options include radiation therapy, chemotherapy, immune modulatory or hematopoietic cell transplant. The median survival for patients with POEMS syndrome is more than 14 years. Supportive care with the right nutrition (foods and natural supplements) can also help improve the patients’ well-being.



For Poems Syndrome does it matter what vegetables, fruits, nuts, seeds one eats?

A very common nutrition question asked by cancer patients and individuals at-genetic risk of cancer is – for cancers like Poems Syndrome does it matter what foods I eat and which I do not? Or if I follow a plant-based diet is that enough for cancer like Poems Syndrome?

For example does it matter if vegetable Wax Gourd is consumed more compared to Green Bell Pepper? Does it make any difference if fruit Pummelo is preferred over Red Raspberry? Also if similar choices are made for nuts/seeds like Hazelnut over Brazil Nut and for pulses like Black-eyed Pea over Cowpea. And if what I eat matters – then how does one identify foods which are recommended for Poems Syndrome and is it the same answer for everyone with the same diagnosis or genetic risk?

Yes! Foods you eat matters for Poems Syndrome!

Food recommendations may not be the same for everyone and can be different even for the same diagnosis and genetic risk.

All cancers like Poems Syndrome can be characterized by a unique set of biochemical pathways - the signature pathways of Poems Syndrome. Biochemical pathways like Extracellular Matrix Remodelling, Cytokine Signaling, PI3K-AKT-MTOR Signaling, MAPK Signaling are part of the signature definition of Poems Syndrome.

All foods (vegetables, fruits, nuts, seeds, pulses, oils etc.) and nutritional supplements are made up of more than one active molecular ingredient or bio-actives in different proportions and quantities. Each active ingredient has a unique mechanism of action – which can be activation or inhibition of different biochemical pathways. Simply stated foods and supplements which are recommended are those which do not cause an increase of molecular drivers of cancer but reduce them. Else those foods should not be recommended. Foods contain multiple active ingredients – hence when evaluating foods and supplements you need to consider the impact of all active ingredients cumulatively rather than individually.

For example Pummelo contains active ingredients Quercetin, Apigenin, Caffeine, Isoliquiritigenin, Formononetin. And Red Raspberry contains active ingredients Quercetin, Ellagic Acid, Isoliquiritigenin, Formononetin, Curcumin and possibly others.

A common mistake made when deciding and choosing foods to eat for Poems Syndrome – is to evaluate only selected active ingredients contained in foods and ignore the rest. Because different active ingredients contained in foods may have opposing effects on cancer drivers – you cannot cherry pick active ingredients in foods and supplements for making a nutrition decision for Poems Syndrome.

YES – FOOD CHOICES MATTER FOR CANCER. NUTRITION DECISIONS MUST CONSIDER ALL ACTIVE INGREDIENTS OF FOODS.

Skills Needed for Nutrition Personalization for Poems Syndrome?

Personalized nutrition for cancers like Poems Syndrome consists of recommended foods / supplements; not recommended foods / supplements with example recipes which prioritize use of recommended foods. An example of personalized nutrition can be seen at this link.

Deciding which foods are recommended or not is extremely complicated, requiring expertise in Poems Syndrome biology, food science, genetics, biochemistry along with good understanding of how cancer treatments work and associated vulnerabilities by which the treatments could stop being effective.

MINIMUM KNOWLEDGE EXPERTISE NEEDED FOR NUTRITION PERSONALIZATION FOR CANCER ARE: CANCER BIOLOGY, FOOD SCIENCE, CANCER TREATMENTS AND GENETICS.

Foods to Eat After Cancer Diagnosis!

No two cancers are the same. Go beyond the common nutrition guidelines for everyone and make personalized decisions about food and supplements with confidence.

Characteristics of cancers like Poems Syndrome

All cancers like Poems Syndrome can be characterized by a unique set of biochemical pathways – the signature pathways of Poems Syndrome. Biochemical pathways like Extracellular Matrix Remodelling, Cytokine Signaling, PI3K-AKT-MTOR Signaling, MAPK Signaling are part of the signature definition of Poems Syndrome. Each individual’s cancer genetics can be different and hence their specific cancer signature could be unique.

The treatments which are effective for Poems Syndrome need to be cognizant of the associated signature biochemical pathways for each cancer patient and individual at genetic risk. Therefore different treatments with different mechanisms of actions are effective for different patients. Similarly and for the same reasons foods and supplements need to be personalized for each individual. Hence some foods and supplements are recommended for Poems Syndrome when taking cancer treatment Melphalan, and some foods and supplements are not recommended.

Sources like cBioPortal and many others provide population representative patient anonymized data from clinical trials for all cancer indications. This data consists of clinical trial study details like sample size / number of patients, age groups, gender, ethnicity, treatments, tumor site and any genetic mutations.

LATS2, CYSLTR2, IRS2, CUL4A and ERCC5 are the top ranked reported genes for Poems Syndrome. LATS2 is reported in 50.41176471 % of the representative patients across all clinical trials. And CYSLTR2 is reported in 50.41176471 %. The combined population patient data cover ages from to . % of the patient data are identified as men. The Poems Syndrome biology along with reported genetics together define the population represented signature biochemical pathways for this cancer. If the individual cancer tumor genetics or genes contributing to the risk are also known then that should also be used for nutrition personalization.

NUTRITION CHOICES SHOULD MATCH WITH EACH INDIVIDUAL’S CANCER SIGNATURE.

Foods for Poems Syndrome!

Food and Supplements for Poems Syndrome

For Cancer Patients

Cancer patients on treatment or on palliative care need to make decisions on food and supplements – for the needed dietary calories, for managing any treatment side effects and also for improved cancer management. All plant-based foods are not equal and choosing and prioritizing foods which are personalized and customized to ongoing cancer treatment is important and complicated. Here are some examples providing guidelines for making nutrition decisions.

Choose Vegetable WAX GOURD or GREEN BELL PEPPER?

Vegetable Wax Gourd contains many active ingredients or bioactives such as Myricetin, Apigenin, Isoliquiritigenin, Formononetin, Curcumin. These active ingredients manipulate various biochemical pathways like JAK-STAT Signaling, MAPK Signaling, NFKB Signaling and MYC Signaling and others. Wax Gourd is recommended for Poems Syndrome when ongoing cancer treatment is Melphalan. This is because Wax Gourd modifies those biochemical pathways which have been scientifically reported to sensitize the effect of Melphalan.

Some of the active ingredients or bioactives in vegetable Green Bell Pepper are Myricetin, Quercetin, Isoliquiritigenin, Resveratrol, Formononetin. These active ingredients manipulate various biochemical pathways like DNA Repair, Cytokine Signaling and PI3K-AKT-MTOR Signaling and others. Green Bell Pepper is not recommended for Poems Syndrome when ongoing cancer treatment is Melphalan because it modifies those biochemical pathways which make the cancer treatment resistant or less responsive.

VEGETABLE WAX GOURD IS RECOMMENDED OVER GREEN BELL PEPPER FOR Poems Syndrome AND TREATMENT Melphalan.

Choose Fruit RED RASPBERRY or PUMMELO?

Fruit Red Raspberry contains many active ingredients or bioactives such as Quercetin, Ellagic Acid, Isoliquiritigenin, Formononetin, Curcumin. These active ingredients manipulate various biochemical pathways like DNA Repair, Hypoxia, MAPK Signaling and Oxidative Stress and others. Red Raspberry is recommended for Poems Syndrome when ongoing cancer treatment is Melphalan. This is because Red Raspberry modifies those biochemical pathways which have been scientifically reported to sensitize the effect of Melphalan.

Some of the active ingredients or bioactives in fruit Pummelo are Quercetin, Apigenin, Caffeine, Isoliquiritigenin, Formononetin. These active ingredients manipulate various biochemical pathways like DNA Repair and Oxidative Stress and others. Pummelo is not recommended for Poems Syndrome when ongoing cancer treatment is Melphalan because it modifies those biochemical pathways which make the cancer treatment resistant or less responsive.

FRUIT RED RASPBERRY IS RECOMMENDED OVER PUMMELO FOR Poems Syndrome AND TREATMENT Melphalan.

Choose Nut HAZELNUT or BRAZIL NUT?

Hazelnut contains many active ingredients or bioactives such as Myricetin, Apigenin, Isoliquiritigenin, Formononetin, Curcumin. These active ingredients manipulate various biochemical pathways like JAK-STAT Signaling, Hypoxia, MAPK Signaling and MYC Signaling and others. Hazelnut is recommended for Poems Syndrome when ongoing cancer treatment is Melphalan. This is because Hazelnut modifies those biochemical pathways which have been scientifically reported to sensitize the effect of Melphalan.

Some of the active ingredients or bioactives in Brazil Nut are Ellagic Acid, Isoliquiritigenin, Formononetin, Curcumin, Phloretin. These active ingredients manipulate various biochemical pathways like DNA Repair, MAPK Signaling and MYC Signaling and others. Brazil Nut is not recommended for Poems Syndrome when ongoing cancer treatment is Melphalan because it modifies those biochemical pathways which make the cancer treatment resistant or less responsive.

HAZELNUT IS RECOMMENDED OVER BRAZIL NUT FOR Poems Syndrome AND TREATMENT Melphalan.

For Individuals with Genetic Risk of Cancer

The question asked by individuals who have genetic risk of Poems Syndrome or familial history is “What Should I Eat Differently from Before?” and how they should choose foods and supplements to manage risks of the disease. Since for cancer risk there is nothing actionable in terms of treatment – decisions of foods and supplements become important and one of the very few actionable things which can be done. All plant-based foods are not equal and based on identified genetics and pathway signature – the choices of food and supplements should be personalized.

Choose Vegetable GIANT BUTTERBUR or MUSTARD SPINACH?

Vegetable Giant Butterbur contains many active ingredients or bioactives such as Apigenin, Kaempferol, Myricetin, Isoliquiritigenin, Curcumin. These active ingredients manipulate various biochemical pathways like DNA Repair, P53 Signaling, Angiogenesis and MYC Signaling and others. Giant Butterbur is recommended for risk of Poems Syndrome when associated genetic risk is CUL4A. This is because Giant Butterbur increases those biochemical pathways which counteract the signature drivers of it.

Some of the active ingredients or bioactives in vegetable Mustard Spinach are Apigenin, Kaempferol, Myricetin, Isoliquiritigenin, Curcumin. These active ingredients manipulate various biochemical pathways like DNA Repair and Cell Cycle Checkpoints and others. Mustard Spinach is not recommended when risk of Poems Syndrome when associated genetic risk is CUL4A because it increases the signature pathways of it.

VEGETABLE GIANT BUTTERBUR IS RECOMMENDED OVER MUSTARD SPINACH FOR CUL4A GENETIC RISK OF CANCER.

Choose Fruit NANCE or FIG?

Fruit Nance contains many active ingredients or bioactives such as Apigenin, Kaempferol, Myricetin, Isoliquiritigenin, Curcumin. These active ingredients manipulate various biochemical pathways like Hypoxia, P53 Signaling and Angiogenesis and others. Nance is recommended for risk of Poems Syndrome when associated genetic risk is CUL4A. This is because Nance increases those biochemical pathways which counteract the signature drivers of it.

Some of the active ingredients or bioactives in fruit Fig are Quercetin, Kaempferol, Isoliquiritigenin, Curcumin, Catechol. These active ingredients manipulate various biochemical pathways like MAPK Signaling, DNA Repair and PI3K-AKT-MTOR Signaling and others. Fig is not recommended when risk of Poems Syndrome when associated genetic risk is CUL4A because it increases the signature pathways of it.

FRUIT NANCE IS RECOMMENDED OVER FIG FOR CUL4A GENETIC RISK OF CANCER.

Choose Nut BUTTERNUT or EUROPEAN CHESTNUT?

Butternut contains many active ingredients or bioactives such as Apigenin, Kaempferol, Myricetin, Isoliquiritigenin, Curcumin. These active ingredients manipulate various biochemical pathways like DNA Repair, Hypoxia, P53 Signaling and MAPK Signaling and others. Butternut is recommended for risk of Poems Syndrome when associated genetic risk is CUL4A. This is because Butternut increases those biochemical pathways which counteract the signature drivers of it.

Some of the active ingredients or bioactives in European Chestnut are Apigenin, Quercetin, Kaempferol, Myricetin, Isoliquiritigenin. These active ingredients manipulate various biochemical pathways like DNA Repair and others. European Chestnut is not recommended when risk of Poems Syndrome when associated genetic risk is CUL4A because it increases the signature pathways of it.

BUTTERNUT IS RECOMMENDED OVER EUROPEAN CHESTNUT FOR CUL4A GENETIC RISK OF CANCER.


In Conclusion

Foods and Supplements chosen are important decisions for cancers like Poems Syndrome. Poems Syndrome patients and individuals with genetic-risk always have this question: “What foods and nutritional supplements are recommended for me and which are not?” There is a common belief which is a misconception that all plant-based foods could be beneficial or not but would not be harmful. Certain foods and supplements can interfere with cancer treatments or promote molecular pathway drivers of cancer.

There are different types of cancer indications like Poems Syndrome, each with different tumor genetics with further genomic variations across each individual. Further every cancer treatment and chemotherapy has a unique mechanism of action. Each food like Wax Gourd contains various bioactives in different quantities, which have an impact on different and distinct sets of biochemical pathways. The definition of personalized nutrition is individualized food recommendations for the cancer indication, treatments, genetics, lifestyle and other factors. Nutrition personalization decisions for cancer require knowledge of cancer biology, food science and an understanding of different chemotherapy treatments. Finally when there are treatment changes or new genomics is identified – the nutrition personalization needs re-evaluation.

The addon nutrition personalization solution makes the decision making easy and removes all the guesswork in answering the question, “What foods should I choose or not choose for Poems Syndrome?”. The addon multi-disciplinary team includes cancer physicians, clinical scientists, software engineers and data scientists.


Personalized Nutrition for Cancer!

Cancer changes with time. Customize and modify your nutrition based on cancer indication, treatments, lifestyle, food preferences, allergies and other factors.

References

Scientifically Reviewed by: Dr. Cogle

Christopher R. Cogle, M.D. is a tenured professor at the University of Florida, Chief Medical Officer of Florida Medicaid, and Director of the Florida Health Policy Leadership Academy at the Bob Graham Center for Public Service.

You can also read this in

How useful was this post?

Click on a star to rate it!

Average rating 4.7 / 5. Vote count: 38

No votes so far! Be the first to rate this post.

As you found this post useful...

Follow us on social media!

We are sorry that this post was not useful for you!

Let us improve this post!

Tell us how we can improve this post?