Foods for Thymoma!

Introduction

Foods for Thymoma 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.

Thymoma is a rare type of cancer that originates in the thymus, a small organ located in the chest. Pathology outlines provide insights into the characteristic features of thymoma cells. Thymoma can be associated with myasthenia gravis, a neuromuscular disorder. Understanding the symptoms of thymoma is important for early detection and diagnosis. Radiology plays a crucial role in the evaluation and monitoring of thymoma, helping to determine the size, location, and extent of the tumor. Accurate medical coding using the appropriate ICD-10 code is important for documentation. Staging is crucial in determining the extent and spread of thymoma and guiding treatment decisions. The prognosis and survival rate for thymoma varies depending on various factors, including the stage and pathology. Treatment for thymoma may involve surgery to remove the tumor, chemotherapy, radiation therapy, or a combination of these approaches. Clinical trials provide opportunities to explore new treatment options and advancements in the management of thymoma. By staying informed and seeking appropriate medical care, individuals affected by thymoma can improve their chances of successful treatment and long-term survival.

For Thymoma 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 Thymoma 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 Thymoma?

For example does it matter if vegetable Giant Butterbur is consumed more compared to Welsh Onion? Does it make any difference if fruit Passion Fruit is preferred over Pitanga? Also if similar choices are made for nuts/seeds like Butternut over Cashew Nut and for pulses like Gram Bean over Catjang Pea. And if what I eat matters – then how does one identify foods which are recommended for Thymoma and is it the same answer for everyone with the same diagnosis or genetic risk?

Yes! Foods you eat matters for Thymoma!

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

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 Passion Fruit contains active ingredients Curcumin, Apigenin, Lupeol, Myricetin, Daidzein. And Pitanga contains active ingredients Curcumin, Apigenin, Quercetin, Lupeol, Myricetin and possibly others.

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

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

Skills Needed for Nutrition Personalization for Thymoma?

Personalized nutrition for cancers like Thymoma 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 Thymoma 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.

Characteristics of cancers like Thymoma

All cancers like Thymoma can be characterized by a unique set of biochemical pathways – the signature pathways of Thymoma. Biochemical pathways like MAPK Signaling, Growth Factor Signaling, Extracellular Matrix Remodelling, Small Molecule Transport are part of the signature definition of Thymoma. Each individual’s cancer genetics can be different and hence their specific cancer signature could be unique.

The treatments which are effective for Thymoma 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 Thymoma when taking cancer treatment Pemetrexed, 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.

MUC16, RYR2, HDAC4, MYH14 and NRAS are the top ranked reported genes for Thymoma. MUC16 is reported in 5.9 % of the representative patients across all clinical trials. And RYR2 is reported in 3.7 %. The combined population patient data cover ages from 17 to 84. 52.7 % of the patient data are identified as men. The Thymoma 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.

Food and Supplements for Thymoma

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 GIANT BUTTERBUR or WELSH ONION?

Vegetable Giant Butterbur contains many active ingredients or bioactives such as Curcumin, Apigenin, Lupeol, Myricetin, Daidzein. These active ingredients manipulate various biochemical pathways like Cell Cycle, P53 Signaling, DNA Repair and Microtubule Dynamics and others. Giant Butterbur is recommended for Thymoma when ongoing cancer treatment is Pemetrexed. This is because Giant Butterbur modifies those biochemical pathways which have been scientifically reported to sensitize the effect of Pemetrexed.

Some of the active ingredients or bioactives in vegetable Welsh Onion are Curcumin, Lupeol, Daidzein, Phloretin, Lycopene. These active ingredients manipulate various biochemical pathways like Oxidative Stress, Oncogenic Cancer Epigenetics and PI3K-AKT-MTOR Signaling and others. Welsh Onion is not recommended for Thymoma when ongoing cancer treatment is Pemetrexed because it modifies those biochemical pathways which make the cancer treatment resistant or less responsive.

VEGETABLE GIANT BUTTERBUR IS RECOMMENDED OVER WELSH ONION FOR Thymoma AND TREATMENT Pemetrexed.

Choose Fruit PITANGA or PASSION FRUIT?

Fruit Pitanga contains many active ingredients or bioactives such as Curcumin, Apigenin, Quercetin, Lupeol, Myricetin. These active ingredients manipulate various biochemical pathways like Cell Cycle, Amino Acid Metabolism, P53 Signaling and TWEAK Signaling and others. Pitanga is recommended for Thymoma when ongoing cancer treatment is Pemetrexed. This is because Pitanga modifies those biochemical pathways which have been scientifically reported to sensitize the effect of Pemetrexed.

Some of the active ingredients or bioactives in fruit Passion Fruit are Curcumin, Apigenin, Lupeol, Myricetin, Daidzein. These active ingredients manipulate various biochemical pathways like Oxidative Stress and Folate Signaling and others. Passion Fruit is not recommended for Thymoma when ongoing cancer treatment is Pemetrexed because it modifies those biochemical pathways which make the cancer treatment resistant or less responsive.

FRUIT PITANGA IS RECOMMENDED OVER PASSION FRUIT FOR Thymoma AND TREATMENT Pemetrexed.

Choose Nut BUTTERNUT or CASHEW NUT?

Butternut contains many active ingredients or bioactives such as Curcumin, Apigenin, Lupeol, Myricetin, Daidzein. These active ingredients manipulate various biochemical pathways like DNA Repair, Cell Cycle, Angiogenesis and Microtubule Dynamics and others. Butternut is recommended for Thymoma when ongoing cancer treatment is Pemetrexed. This is because Butternut modifies those biochemical pathways which have been scientifically reported to sensitize the effect of Pemetrexed.

Some of the active ingredients or bioactives in Cashew Nut are Curcumin, Quercetin, Lupeol, Myricetin, Daidzein. These active ingredients manipulate various biochemical pathways like MAPK Signaling, TWEAK Signaling and Oxidative Stress and others. Cashew Nut is not recommended for Thymoma when ongoing cancer treatment is Pemetrexed because it modifies those biochemical pathways which make the cancer treatment resistant or less responsive.

BUTTERNUT IS RECOMMENDED OVER CASHEW NUT FOR Thymoma AND TREATMENT Pemetrexed.

For Individuals with Genetic Risk of Cancer

The question asked by individuals who have genetic risk of Thymoma 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 CAULIFLOWER or ASPARAGUS?

Vegetable Cauliflower contains many active ingredients or bioactives such as Curcumin, Delphinidin, Lupeol, Formononetin, Isoliquiritigenin. These active ingredients manipulate various biochemical pathways like Apoptosis, P53 Signaling, MAPK Signaling and Cell Cycle Checkpoints and others. Cauliflower is recommended for risk of Thymoma when associated genetic risk is HDAC4. This is because Cauliflower increases those biochemical pathways which counteract the signature drivers of it.

Some of the active ingredients or bioactives in vegetable Asparagus are Curcumin, Apigenin, Quercetin, Delphinidin, Myricetin. These active ingredients manipulate various biochemical pathways like MYC Signaling, MAPK Signaling and PI3K-AKT-MTOR Signaling and others. Asparagus is not recommended when risk of Thymoma when associated genetic risk is HDAC4 because it increases the signature pathways of it.

VEGETABLE CAULIFLOWER IS RECOMMENDED OVER ASPARAGUS FOR HDAC4 GENETIC RISK OF CANCER.

Choose Fruit BILBERRY or PUMMELO?

Fruit Bilberry contains many active ingredients or bioactives such as Curcumin, Apigenin, Quercetin, Lycopene, Resveratrol. These active ingredients manipulate various biochemical pathways like P53 Signaling, MAPK Signaling, Cell Cycle Checkpoints and MYC Signaling and others. Bilberry is recommended for risk of Thymoma when associated genetic risk is HDAC4. This is because Bilberry increases those biochemical pathways which counteract the signature drivers of it.

Some of the active ingredients or bioactives in fruit Pummelo are Curcumin, Apigenin, Quercetin, Lycopene, Delphinidin. These active ingredients manipulate various biochemical pathways like Extracellular Matrix Remodelling and Cell Cycle Checkpoints and others. Pummelo is not recommended when risk of Thymoma when associated genetic risk is HDAC4 because it increases the signature pathways of it.

FRUIT BILBERRY IS RECOMMENDED OVER PUMMELO FOR HDAC4 GENETIC RISK OF CANCER.

Choose Nut COMMON HAZELNUT or MACADAMIA NUT?

Common Hazelnut contains many active ingredients or bioactives such as Curcumin, Quercetin, Lycopene, Delphinidin, Myricetin. These active ingredients manipulate various biochemical pathways like P53 Signaling, Growth Factor Signaling, MAPK Signaling and RAS-RAF Signaling and others. Common Hazelnut is recommended for risk of Thymoma when associated genetic risk is HDAC4. This is because Common Hazelnut increases those biochemical pathways which counteract the signature drivers of it.

Some of the active ingredients or bioactives in Macadamia Nut are Curcumin, Apigenin, Delphinidin, Myricetin, Lupeol. These active ingredients manipulate various biochemical pathways like MAPK Signaling, Growth Factor Signaling and PI3K-AKT-MTOR Signaling and others. Macadamia Nut is not recommended when risk of Thymoma when associated genetic risk is HDAC4 because it increases the signature pathways of it.

COMMON HAZELNUT IS RECOMMENDED OVER MACADAMIA NUT FOR HDAC4 GENETIC RISK OF CANCER.

In Conclusion

Foods and Supplements chosen are important decisions for cancers like Thymoma. Thymoma 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 Thymoma, 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 Giant Butterbur 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 Thymoma?”. The addon multi-disciplinary team includes cancer physicians, clinical scientists, software engineers and data scientists.

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