Foods for Acute Lymphoid Leukemia!

Introduction

Foods for Acute Lymphoid Leukemia 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.

Acute lymphoid leukemia (ALL) is a type of blood cancer that primarily affects lymphoid cells. Recognizing the symptoms of ALL, such as fatigue, recurrent infections, and bruising, is important for early detection. Treatment for ALL typically involves chemotherapy, targeted therapy, radiation therapy, and stem cell transplantation, tailored to individuals based on factors such as age and overall health. The survival rate for ALL varies depending on factors such as age, subtype, and response to treatment. Accurate medical coding using the appropriate ICD-10 code is crucial for proper documentation. Understanding the prognosis of ALL is important for patients and their families. Pathology outlines provide valuable information on the characteristics of ALL cells. Differentiating ALL from acute myeloid leukemia is crucial for appropriate treatment decisions. Exploring the pathophysiology of ALL enhances our understanding of this disease at a molecular level. By staying informed and seeking appropriate medical care, individuals diagnosed with ALL can access the latest treatments and strive for improved outcomes.

For Acute Lymphoid Leukemia 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 Acute Lymphoid Leukemia 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 Acute Lymphoid Leukemia?

For example does it matter if vegetable Cauliflower is consumed more compared to Broccoli? Does it make any difference if fruit Pummelo is preferred over Pomegranate? Also if similar choices are made for nuts/seeds like Butternut over Chestnut and for pulses like Chickpea over Lima Bean. And if what I eat matters – then how does one identify foods which are recommended for Acute Lymphoid Leukemia and is it the same answer for everyone with the same diagnosis or genetic risk?

Yes! Foods you eat matters for Acute Lymphoid Leukemia!

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 Pummelo contains active ingredients Catechol, Quercetin, Apigenin, Lycopene, Isoliquiritigenin. And Pomegranate contains active ingredients Catechol, Quercetin, Apigenin, Isoliquiritigenin, Lupeol and possibly others.

A common mistake made when deciding and choosing foods to eat for Acute Lymphoid Leukemia – 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 Acute Lymphoid Leukemia.

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

Skills Needed for Nutrition Personalization for Acute Lymphoid Leukemia?

Personalized nutrition for cancers like Acute Lymphoid Leukemia 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 Acute Lymphoid Leukemia 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 Acute Lymphoid Leukemia

All cancers like Acute Lymphoid Leukemia can be characterized by a unique set of biochemical pathways – the signature pathways of Acute Lymphoid Leukemia. Biochemical pathways like Angiogenesis, PI3K-AKT-MTOR Signaling, RAS-RAF Signaling, MAPK Signaling are part of the signature definition of Acute Lymphoid Leukemia. Each individual’s cancer genetics can be different and hence their specific cancer signature could be unique.

The treatments which are effective for Acute Lymphoid Leukemia 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 Acute Lymphoid Leukemia when taking cancer treatment Daunorubicin, 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.

NRAS, KMT2D, SETD2, TBL1XR1 and ZEB2 are the top ranked reported genes for Acute Lymphoid Leukemia. NRAS is reported in 25.7 % of the representative patients across all clinical trials. And KMT2D is reported in 20.0 %. The combined population patient data cover ages from 1 to 30. 58.9 % of the patient data are identified as men. The Acute Lymphoid Leukemia 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 Acute Lymphoid Leukemia

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 CAULIFLOWER or BROCCOLI?

Vegetable Cauliflower contains many active ingredients or bioactives such as Catechol, Isoliquiritigenin, Lupeol, Daidzein, Phloretin. These active ingredients manipulate various biochemical pathways like WNT Beta Catenin Signaling, Amino Acid Metabolism, MAPK Signaling and Angiogenesis and others. Cauliflower is recommended for Acute Lymphoid Leukemia when ongoing cancer treatment is Daunorubicin. This is because Cauliflower modifies those biochemical pathways which have been scientifically reported to sensitize the effect of Daunorubicin.

Some of the active ingredients or bioactives in vegetable Broccoli are Resveratrol, Catechol, Quercetin, Isoliquiritigenin, Lupeol. These active ingredients manipulate various biochemical pathways like DNA Repair and others. Broccoli is not recommended for Acute Lymphoid Leukemia when ongoing cancer treatment is Daunorubicin because it modifies those biochemical pathways which make the cancer treatment resistant or less responsive.

VEGETABLE CAULIFLOWER IS RECOMMENDED OVER BROCCOLI FOR Acute Lymphoid Leukemia AND TREATMENT Daunorubicin.

Choose Fruit POMEGRANATE or PUMMELO?

Fruit Pomegranate contains many active ingredients or bioactives such as Catechol, Quercetin, Apigenin, Isoliquiritigenin, Lupeol. These active ingredients manipulate various biochemical pathways like Amino Acid Metabolism, MAPK Signaling, Angiogenesis and DNA Repair and others. Pomegranate is recommended for Acute Lymphoid Leukemia when ongoing cancer treatment is Daunorubicin. This is because Pomegranate modifies those biochemical pathways which have been scientifically reported to sensitize the effect of Daunorubicin.

Some of the active ingredients or bioactives in fruit Pummelo are Catechol, Quercetin, Apigenin, Lycopene, Isoliquiritigenin. These active ingredients manipulate various biochemical pathways like WNT Beta Catenin Signaling and DNA Repair and others. Pummelo is not recommended for Acute Lymphoid Leukemia when ongoing cancer treatment is Daunorubicin because it modifies those biochemical pathways which make the cancer treatment resistant or less responsive.

FRUIT POMEGRANATE IS RECOMMENDED OVER PUMMELO FOR Acute Lymphoid Leukemia AND TREATMENT Daunorubicin.

Choose Nut BUTTERNUT or CHESTNUT?

Butternut contains many active ingredients or bioactives such as Catechol, Apigenin, Lycopene, Isoliquiritigenin, Lupeol. These active ingredients manipulate various biochemical pathways like Post Translation Modification, Amino Acid Metabolism, PI3K-AKT-MTOR Signaling and MYC Signaling and others. Butternut is recommended for Acute Lymphoid Leukemia when ongoing cancer treatment is Daunorubicin. This is because Butternut modifies those biochemical pathways which have been scientifically reported to sensitize the effect of Daunorubicin.

Some of the active ingredients or bioactives in Chestnut are Catechol, Apigenin, Lycopene, Isoliquiritigenin, Lupeol. These active ingredients manipulate various biochemical pathways like WNT Beta Catenin Signaling and DNA Repair and others. Chestnut is not recommended for Acute Lymphoid Leukemia when ongoing cancer treatment is Daunorubicin because it modifies those biochemical pathways which make the cancer treatment resistant or less responsive.

BUTTERNUT IS RECOMMENDED OVER CHESTNUT FOR Acute Lymphoid Leukemia AND TREATMENT Daunorubicin.

For Individuals with Genetic Risk of Cancer

The question asked by individuals who have genetic risk of Acute Lymphoid Leukemia 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 AVOCADO?

Vegetable Giant Butterbur contains many active ingredients or bioactives such as Curcumin, Apigenin, Lycopene, Lupeol, Daidzein. These active ingredients manipulate various biochemical pathways like Epithelial to Mesenchymal Transition, MYC Signaling, MAPK Signaling and P53 Signaling and others. Giant Butterbur is recommended for risk of Acute Lymphoid Leukemia when associated genetic risk is KMT2D. 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 Avocado are Curcumin, Quercetin, Lupeol, Daidzein, Protocatechuic Acid. These active ingredients manipulate various biochemical pathways like MYC Signaling and PI3K-AKT-MTOR Signaling and others. Avocado is not recommended when risk of Acute Lymphoid Leukemia when associated genetic risk is KMT2D because it increases the signature pathways of it.

VEGETABLE GIANT BUTTERBUR IS RECOMMENDED OVER AVOCADO FOR KMT2D GENETIC RISK OF CANCER.

Choose Fruit NANCE or JUJUBE?

Fruit Nance contains many active ingredients or bioactives such as Curcumin, Apigenin, Lupeol, Daidzein, Protocatechuic Acid. These active ingredients manipulate various biochemical pathways like Epithelial to Mesenchymal Transition, MYC Signaling, MAPK Signaling and P53 Signaling and others. Nance is recommended for risk of Acute Lymphoid Leukemia when associated genetic risk is KMT2D. This is because Nance increases those biochemical pathways which counteract the signature drivers of it.

Some of the active ingredients or bioactives in fruit Jujube are Curcumin, Apigenin, Quercetin, Lycopene, Lupeol. These active ingredients manipulate various biochemical pathways like Epithelial to Mesenchymal Transition, Oncogenic Histone Methylation and PI3K-AKT-MTOR Signaling and others. Jujube is not recommended when risk of Acute Lymphoid Leukemia when associated genetic risk is KMT2D because it increases the signature pathways of it.

FRUIT NANCE IS RECOMMENDED OVER JUJUBE FOR KMT2D GENETIC RISK OF CANCER.

Choose Nut COMMON HAZELNUT or EUROPEAN CHESTNUT?

Common Hazelnut contains many active ingredients or bioactives such as Curcumin, Quercetin, Lycopene, Lupeol, Daidzein. These active ingredients manipulate various biochemical pathways like Epithelial to Mesenchymal Transition, MYC Signaling, MAPK Signaling and P53 Signaling and others. Common Hazelnut is recommended for risk of Acute Lymphoid Leukemia when associated genetic risk is KMT2D. This is because Common Hazelnut increases those biochemical pathways which counteract the signature drivers of it.

Some of the active ingredients or bioactives in European Chestnut are Ellagic Acid, Curcumin, Apigenin, Quercetin, Lupeol. These active ingredients manipulate various biochemical pathways like Epithelial to Mesenchymal Transition and Oncogenic Histone Methylation and others. European Chestnut is not recommended when risk of Acute Lymphoid Leukemia when associated genetic risk is KMT2D because it increases the signature pathways of it.

COMMON HAZELNUT IS RECOMMENDED OVER EUROPEAN CHESTNUT FOR KMT2D GENETIC RISK OF CANCER.

In Conclusion

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

References

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