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What Foods are Recommended for Cancer?
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Foods for Ganglioglioma!

Aug 4, 2023

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Introduction

Foods for Ganglioglioma 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.

Ganglioglioma is a rare type of brain tumor that affects both the nerve cells (ganglion cells) and supportive cells (glial cells) in the brain. Gangliogliomas are mostly low-grade (grade 1) tumors. It is more commonly diagnosed in children, but it can also occur in young adults less than 30 years old and has a slight preponderance in males. 85% of Gangliogliomas develop in the temporal lobe and is associated with a clinical presentation of seizure disorder. Other presenting symptoms of ganglioglioma include intracranial pressure, headache, nausea, vomiting, personality change, irritability and focal neurological deficit. The management of ganglioglioma typically involves surgery to remove the tumor, with the goal of achieving complete removal. In some cases, additional treatments such as radiation therapy may also be recommended. The recurrence rate for ganglioglioma is low, but it can occur, especially in cases where the tumor is not completely removed during surgery. Regular monitoring with imaging tests such as MRI of the brain is important to detect any potential recurrence and to ensure proper management of the condition. The outcome for patients with ganglioglioma is generally good, especially with early diagnosis and appropriate treatment. The disease-free survival rate is 97% at 7.5 years for patients with gangliogliomas. Activating mutations in BRAF (V600E) occurs in 10-60% of gangliogliomas including mutations in other well-known cancer-causing genes such as KRAS, NF1 and others. Supportive nutrition with the right foods and natural supplements can complement the treatment to improve the well-being of patients diagnosed with ganglioglioma.



For Ganglioglioma 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 Ganglioglioma 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 Ganglioglioma?

For example does it matter if vegetable Wild Carrot is consumed more compared to Agave? Does it make any difference if fruit Grapefruit is preferred over Pomegranate? Also if similar choices are made for nuts/seeds like Common Hazelnut over Pili Nut and for pulses like Winged Bean over Catjang Pea. And if what I eat matters – then how does one identify foods which are recommended for Ganglioglioma and is it the same answer for everyone with the same diagnosis or genetic risk?

Yes! Foods you eat matters for Ganglioglioma!

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

All cancers like Ganglioglioma can be characterized by a unique set of biochemical pathways - the signature pathways of Ganglioglioma. Biochemical pathways like Cell Cycle Checkpoints, Apoptosis, MAPK Signaling, PI3K-AKT-MTOR Signaling are part of the signature definition of Ganglioglioma.

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 Curcumin, Lycopene, Lupeol, Phloretin, Daidzein. And Pomegranate contains active ingredients Apigenin, Curcumin, Lupeol, Daidzein, Phloretin and possibly others.

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

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

Skills Needed for Nutrition Personalization for Ganglioglioma?

Personalized nutrition for cancers like Ganglioglioma 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 Ganglioglioma 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 Ganglioglioma

All cancers like Ganglioglioma can be characterized by a unique set of biochemical pathways – the signature pathways of Ganglioglioma. Biochemical pathways like Cell Cycle Checkpoints, Apoptosis, MAPK Signaling, PI3K-AKT-MTOR Signaling are part of the signature definition of Ganglioglioma. Each individual’s cancer genetics can be different and hence their specific cancer signature could be unique.

The treatments which are effective for Ganglioglioma 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 Ganglioglioma when taking cancer treatment Hydroxyurea, 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.

MUC4, NCOR2, KCNC3, RUNX1 and MDC1 are the top ranked reported genes for Ganglioglioma. MUC4 is reported in 10.5 % of the representative patients across all clinical trials. And NCOR2 is reported in 10.5 %. The combined population patient data cover ages from 2 to 17. 52.9 % of the patient data are identified as men. The Ganglioglioma 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 Ganglioglioma!

Food and Supplements for Ganglioglioma

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 WILD CARROT or AGAVE?

Vegetable Wild Carrot contains many active ingredients or bioactives such as Apigenin, Curcumin, Lycopene, Linalool, Lupeol. These active ingredients manipulate various biochemical pathways like Cell Cycle Checkpoints, P53 Signaling and Apoptosis and others. Wild Carrot is recommended for Ganglioglioma when ongoing cancer treatment is Hydroxyurea. This is because Wild Carrot modifies those biochemical pathways which have been scientifically reported to sensitize the effect of Hydroxyurea.

Some of the active ingredients or bioactives in vegetable Agave are Apigenin, Curcumin, Lupeol, Phloretin, Daidzein. These active ingredients manipulate various biochemical pathways like Cell Cycle Checkpoints and MYC Signaling and others. Agave is not recommended for Ganglioglioma when ongoing cancer treatment is Hydroxyurea because it modifies those biochemical pathways which make the cancer treatment resistant or less responsive.

VEGETABLE WILD CARROT IS RECOMMENDED OVER AGAVE FOR Ganglioglioma AND TREATMENT Hydroxyurea.

Choose Fruit POMEGRANATE or GRAPEFRUIT?

Fruit Pomegranate contains many active ingredients or bioactives such as Apigenin, Curcumin, Lupeol, Daidzein, Phloretin. These active ingredients manipulate various biochemical pathways like Cell Cycle Checkpoints, P53 Signaling and Apoptosis and others. Pomegranate is recommended for Ganglioglioma when ongoing cancer treatment is Hydroxyurea. This is because Pomegranate modifies those biochemical pathways which have been scientifically reported to sensitize the effect of Hydroxyurea.

Some of the active ingredients or bioactives in fruit Grapefruit are Curcumin, Lycopene, Lupeol, Phloretin, Daidzein. These active ingredients manipulate various biochemical pathways like Cell Cycle Checkpoints and MYC Signaling and others. Grapefruit is not recommended for Ganglioglioma when ongoing cancer treatment is Hydroxyurea because it modifies those biochemical pathways which make the cancer treatment resistant or less responsive.

FRUIT POMEGRANATE IS RECOMMENDED OVER GRAPEFRUIT FOR Ganglioglioma AND TREATMENT Hydroxyurea.

Choose Nut COMMON HAZELNUT or PILI NUT?

Common Hazelnut contains many active ingredients or bioactives such as Curcumin, Lycopene, Lupeol, Daidzein, Phloretin. These active ingredients manipulate various biochemical pathways like Cell Cycle Checkpoints, DNA Repair, P53 Signaling and Apoptosis and others. Common Hazelnut is recommended for Ganglioglioma when ongoing cancer treatment is Hydroxyurea. This is because Common Hazelnut modifies those biochemical pathways which have been scientifically reported to sensitize the effect of Hydroxyurea.

Some of the active ingredients or bioactives in Pili Nut are Apigenin, Curcumin, Lycopene, Lupeol, Phloretin. These active ingredients manipulate various biochemical pathways like Cell Cycle Checkpoints and MYC Signaling and others. Pili Nut is not recommended for Ganglioglioma when ongoing cancer treatment is Hydroxyurea because it modifies those biochemical pathways which make the cancer treatment resistant or less responsive.

COMMON HAZELNUT IS RECOMMENDED OVER PILI NUT FOR Ganglioglioma AND TREATMENT Hydroxyurea.

For Individuals with Genetic Risk of Cancer

The question asked by individuals who have genetic risk of Ganglioglioma 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 NAPA CABBAGE?

Vegetable Giant Butterbur contains many active ingredients or bioactives such as Apigenin, Curcumin, Daidzein, Formononetin, Lupeol. These active ingredients manipulate various biochemical pathways like Cell Cycle Checkpoints, Hypoxia, MYC Signaling and PI3K-AKT-MTOR Signaling and others. Giant Butterbur is recommended for risk of Ganglioglioma when associated genetic risk is KCNC3. 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 Napa Cabbage are Curcumin, Daidzein, Formononetin, Lupeol, Beta-sitosterol. These active ingredients manipulate various biochemical pathways like MYC Signaling and PI3K-AKT-MTOR Signaling and others. Napa Cabbage is not recommended when risk of Ganglioglioma when associated genetic risk is KCNC3 because it increases the signature pathways of it.

VEGETABLE GIANT BUTTERBUR IS RECOMMENDED OVER NAPA CABBAGE FOR KCNC3 GENETIC RISK OF CANCER.

Choose Fruit NANCE or PUMMELO?

Fruit Nance contains many active ingredients or bioactives such as Apigenin, Curcumin, Daidzein, Formononetin, Lupeol. These active ingredients manipulate various biochemical pathways like Cell Cycle Checkpoints, Hypoxia, MYC Signaling and PI3K-AKT-MTOR Signaling and others. Nance is recommended for risk of Ganglioglioma when associated genetic risk is KCNC3. 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 Apigenin, Curcumin, Quercetin, Daidzein, Formononetin. These active ingredients manipulate various biochemical pathways like Cell Cycle Checkpoints and PI3K-AKT-MTOR Signaling and others. Pummelo is not recommended when risk of Ganglioglioma when associated genetic risk is KCNC3 because it increases the signature pathways of it.

FRUIT NANCE IS RECOMMENDED OVER PUMMELO FOR KCNC3 GENETIC RISK OF CANCER.

Choose Nut BUTTERNUT or EUROPEAN CHESTNUT?

Butternut contains many active ingredients or bioactives such as Apigenin, Curcumin, Daidzein, Formononetin, Lupeol. These active ingredients manipulate various biochemical pathways like Cell Cycle Checkpoints, MYC Signaling, Stem Cell Signaling and PI3K-AKT-MTOR Signaling and others. Butternut is recommended for risk of Ganglioglioma when associated genetic risk is KCNC3. 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, Curcumin, Quercetin, Daidzein, Formononetin. These active ingredients manipulate various biochemical pathways like Oncogenic Cancer Epigenetics and Stem Cell Signaling and others. European Chestnut is not recommended when risk of Ganglioglioma when associated genetic risk is KCNC3 because it increases the signature pathways of it.

BUTTERNUT IS RECOMMENDED OVER EUROPEAN CHESTNUT FOR KCNC3 GENETIC RISK OF CANCER.


In Conclusion

Foods and Supplements chosen are important decisions for cancers like Ganglioglioma. Ganglioglioma 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 Ganglioglioma, 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 Wild Carrot 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 Ganglioglioma?”. 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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