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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 Hepatoblastoma!

Jul 18, 2023

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Introduction

Foods for Hepatoblastoma 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.

Hepatoblastoma is a rare form of cancer that primarily affects children. Radiology plays a vital role in diagnosing hepatoblastoma by providing detailed images of the liver and surrounding structures. Pathology outlines help in understanding the characteristic features and cellular composition of hepatoblastoma tumors. The levels of alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) in the blood are often elevated in hepatoblastoma cases and can be monitored as a tumor marker. The causes of hepatoblastoma are not yet fully understood, but genetic predisposition, certain birth defects, and exposure to certain chemicals may play a role. The survival rate and prognosis of hepatoblastoma depend on various factors including the stage of the disease and the response to treatment. It is important to differentiate hepatoblastoma from hepatocellular carcinoma, another type of liver cancer that primarily affects adults. Staging helps determine the extent and spread of the hepatoblastoma, with stage 4 indicating advanced disease. Treatment for hepatoblastoma depends on the stage, but it often includes a combination of chemotherapy, surgery, and sometimes liver transplantation. Age is also a factor as hepatoblastoma is most commonly diagnosed in children aged 3 and under. Adhering to treatment guidelines is crucial in order to provide the best chances of successful outcomes. Ongoing research and cell line studies contribute to advancing our understanding and management of hepatoblastoma. By staying informed about the pronunciation, definition, and prognosis of hepatoblastoma, healthcare professionals can provide the best care for patients facing this cancer.



For Hepatoblastoma 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 Hepatoblastoma 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 Hepatoblastoma?

For example does it matter if vegetable Kai-lan is consumed more compared to Yam? Does it make any difference if fruit Grapefruit is preferred over Sweet Rowanberry? Also if similar choices are made for nuts/seeds like Chia over Common Hazelnut and for pulses like Winged Bean over Mung Bean. And if what I eat matters – then how does one identify foods which are recommended for Hepatoblastoma and is it the same answer for everyone with the same diagnosis or genetic risk?

Yes! Foods you eat matters for Hepatoblastoma!

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

All cancers like Hepatoblastoma can be characterized by a unique set of biochemical pathways - the signature pathways of Hepatoblastoma. Biochemical pathways like Epithelial to Mesenchymal Transition, Focal Adhesion, Extracellular Matrix Remodelling, Angiogenesis are part of the signature definition of Hepatoblastoma.

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 Grapefruit contains active ingredients Phloretin, Beta-sitosterol, Eugenol, Umbelliferone, Pelargonidin. And Sweet Rowanberry contains active ingredients Caffeic Acid, Quercetin, Phloretin, Eugenol, Beta-sitosterol and possibly others.

A common mistake made when deciding and choosing foods to eat for Hepatoblastoma – 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 Hepatoblastoma.

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

Skills Needed for Nutrition Personalization for Hepatoblastoma?

Personalized nutrition for cancers like Hepatoblastoma 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 Hepatoblastoma 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 Hepatoblastoma

All cancers like Hepatoblastoma can be characterized by a unique set of biochemical pathways – the signature pathways of Hepatoblastoma. Biochemical pathways like Epithelial to Mesenchymal Transition, Focal Adhesion, Extracellular Matrix Remodelling, Angiogenesis are part of the signature definition of Hepatoblastoma. Each individual’s cancer genetics can be different and hence their specific cancer signature could be unique.

The treatments which are effective for Hepatoblastoma 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 Hepatoblastoma when taking cancer treatment Fluorouracil, 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.

CTNNB1, PTPRT, IKBKE and NFE2L2 are the top ranked reported genes for Hepatoblastoma. CTNNB1 is reported in 66.7 % of the representative patients across all clinical trials. And PTPRT is reported in 33.3 %. The combined population patient data cover ages from 1 to 10. 60.0 % of the patient data are identified as men. The Hepatoblastoma 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 Hepatoblastoma!

Food and Supplements for Hepatoblastoma

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 KAI-LAN or YAM

Vegetable Kai-lan contains many active ingredients or bioactives such as Caffeic Acid, Quercetin, Phloretin, Eugenol, Beta-sitosterol. These active ingredients manipulate various biochemical pathways like WNT Beta Catenin Signaling, Epithelial to Mesenchymal Transition, Oncogenic Cancer Epigenetics and Oxidative Stress and others. Kai-lan is recommended for Hepatoblastoma when ongoing cancer treatment is Fluorouracil. This is because Kai-lan modifies those biochemical pathways which have been scientifically reported to sensitize the effect of Fluorouracil.

Some of the active ingredients or bioactives in vegetable Yam are Caffeic Acid, Phloretin, Eugenol, Beta-sitosterol, Umbelliferone. These active ingredients manipulate various biochemical pathways like WNT Beta Catenin Signaling and Oxidative Stress and others. Yam is not recommended for Hepatoblastoma when ongoing cancer treatment is Fluorouracil because it modifies those biochemical pathways which make the cancer treatment resistant or less responsive.

VEGETABLE KAI-LAN IS RECOMMENDED OVER YAM FOR Hepatoblastoma AND TREATMENT Fluorouracil.

Choose Fruit SWEET ROWANBERRY or GRAPEFRUIT

Fruit Sweet Rowanberry contains many active ingredients or bioactives such as Caffeic Acid, Quercetin, Phloretin, Eugenol, Beta-sitosterol. These active ingredients manipulate various biochemical pathways like WNT Beta Catenin Signaling, Epithelial to Mesenchymal Transition, Oncogenic Cancer Epigenetics and Oxidative Stress and others. Sweet Rowanberry is recommended for Hepatoblastoma when ongoing cancer treatment is Fluorouracil. This is because Sweet Rowanberry modifies those biochemical pathways which have been scientifically reported to sensitize the effect of Fluorouracil.

Some of the active ingredients or bioactives in fruit Grapefruit are Phloretin, Beta-sitosterol, Eugenol, Umbelliferone, Pelargonidin. These active ingredients manipulate various biochemical pathways like Oxidative Stress and others. Grapefruit is not recommended for Hepatoblastoma when ongoing cancer treatment is Fluorouracil because it modifies those biochemical pathways which make the cancer treatment resistant or less responsive.

FRUIT SWEET ROWANBERRY IS RECOMMENDED OVER GRAPEFRUIT FOR Hepatoblastoma AND TREATMENT Fluorouracil.

Choose Nut CHIA or COMMON HAZELNUT

Chia contains many active ingredients or bioactives such as Caffeic Acid, Phloretin, Beta-sitosterol, Eugenol, Umbelliferone. These active ingredients manipulate various biochemical pathways like WNT Beta Catenin Signaling, Oncogenic Cancer Epigenetics and Focal Adhesion and others. Chia is recommended for Hepatoblastoma when ongoing cancer treatment is Fluorouracil. This is because Chia modifies those biochemical pathways which have been scientifically reported to sensitize the effect of Fluorouracil.

Some of the active ingredients or bioactives in Common Hazelnut are Caffeic Acid, Quercetin, Phloretin, Eugenol, Beta-sitosterol. These active ingredients manipulate various biochemical pathways like WNT Beta Catenin Signaling and Oxidative Stress and others. Common Hazelnut is not recommended for Hepatoblastoma when ongoing cancer treatment is Fluorouracil because it modifies those biochemical pathways which make the cancer treatment resistant or less responsive.

CHIA IS RECOMMENDED OVER COMMON HAZELNUT FOR Hepatoblastoma AND TREATMENT Fluorouracil.

For Individuals with Genetic Risk of Cancer

The question asked by individuals who have genetic risk of Hepatoblastoma 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 OSTRICH FERN

Vegetable Giant Butterbur contains many active ingredients or bioactives such as Curcumin, Apigenin, Beta-sitosterol, Lupeol, Phloretin. These active ingredients manipulate various biochemical pathways like C-type Lectin Receptor Signaling, Adherens junction, NFKB Signaling and Oxidative Stress and others. Giant Butterbur is recommended for risk of Hepatoblastoma when associated genetic risk is CTNNB1. 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 Ostrich Fern are Curcumin, Apigenin, Beta-sitosterol, Lupeol, Phloretin. These active ingredients manipulate various biochemical pathways like Cytoskeletal Dynamics, Epithelial to Mesenchymal Transition and Oxidative Stress and others. Ostrich Fern is not recommended when risk of Hepatoblastoma when associated genetic risk is CTNNB1 because it increases the signature pathways of it.

VEGETABLE GIANT BUTTERBUR IS RECOMMENDED OVER OSTRICH FERN FOR CTNNB1 GENETIC RISK OF CANCER.

Choose Fruit NANCE or PUMMELO

Fruit Nance contains many active ingredients or bioactives such as Curcumin, Apigenin, Beta-sitosterol, Lupeol, Phloretin. These active ingredients manipulate various biochemical pathways like C-type Lectin Receptor Signaling, Adherens junction, NFKB Signaling and Oxidative Stress and others. Nance is recommended for risk of Hepatoblastoma when associated genetic risk is CTNNB1. This is because Nance increases those biochemical pathways which counteract the signature drivers of it.

Some of the active ingredients or bioactives in fruit Pummelo are Curcumin, Apigenin, Beta-sitosterol, Lupeol, Naringin. These active ingredients manipulate various biochemical pathways like Oxidative Stress and others. Pummelo is not recommended when risk of Hepatoblastoma when associated genetic risk is CTNNB1 because it increases the signature pathways of it.

FRUIT NANCE IS RECOMMENDED OVER PUMMELO FOR CTNNB1 GENETIC RISK OF CANCER.

Choose Nut BUTTERNUT or WALNUT

Butternut contains many active ingredients or bioactives such as Curcumin, Apigenin, Beta-sitosterol, Lupeol, Phloretin. These active ingredients manipulate various biochemical pathways like Cell Cycle Checkpoints, C-type Lectin Receptor Signaling, Adherens junction and NFKB Signaling and others. Butternut is recommended for risk of Hepatoblastoma when associated genetic risk is CTNNB1. This is because Butternut increases those biochemical pathways which counteract the signature drivers of it.

Some of the active ingredients or bioactives in Walnut are Curcumin, Apigenin, Beta-sitosterol, Lupeol, Phloretin. These active ingredients manipulate various biochemical pathways like Oxidative Stress and others. Walnut is not recommended when risk of Hepatoblastoma when associated genetic risk is CTNNB1 because it increases the signature pathways of it.

BUTTERNUT IS RECOMMENDED OVER WALNUT FOR CTNNB1 GENETIC RISK OF CANCER.


In Conclusion

Foods and Supplements chosen are important decisions for cancers like Hepatoblastoma. Hepatoblastoma 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 Hepatoblastoma, 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 Kai-lan 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 Hepatoblastoma?”. 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.

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