Foods for Follicular Thyroid Cancer!

Introduction

Foods for Follicular Thyroid Cancer 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.

Follicular cell thyroid cancer, also known as follicular thyroid cancer, is a type of thyroid cancer that originates from the follicular cells of the thyroid gland. Metastasis, or the spread of cancer, is a concern in follicular thyroid cancer and impacts the prognosis. Survival rates vary depending on various factors, including the stage of the cancer and overall health of the patient. Accurate staging of follicular thyroid cancer is crucial to determine the extent of the disease. Understanding the genetics of follicular thyroid cancer is an active area of research, as certain gene mutations can play a role in its development. Treatment guidelines provide valuable recommendations for managing follicular thyroid cancer, which may include surgery, radioactive iodine therapy, hormone therapy, and monitoring thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) suppression. Proper coding using the ICD-10 system ensures accurate documentation of follicular thyroid cancer in medical records. Pathology outlines aid in understanding the characteristics of follicular thyroid cancer and facilitating accurate diagnosis. Recurrence is a concern with follicular thyroid cancer, so regular follow-up and surveillance are necessary. Taking measures such as adopting a healthy diet may support overall well-being during treatment and survivorship. Though follicular thyroid cancer is generally less aggressive than other types, it is still a serious condition and requires appropriate management. Being informed about the different types of thyroid cancer and their specific characteristics helps in understanding the nuances of follicular thyroid cancer. Overall, comprehensive management and close monitoring contribute to better outcomes for individuals with follicular thyroid cancer.

For Follicular Thyroid Cancer 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 Follicular Thyroid Cancer 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 Follicular Thyroid Cancer?

For example does it matter if vegetable Endive is consumed more compared to Mustard Spinach? Does it make any difference if fruit Pummelo is preferred over Nance? Also if similar choices are made for nuts/seeds like Common Hazelnut over Chestnut and for pulses like Black-eyed Pea over Pigeon Pea. And if what I eat matters – then how does one identify foods which are recommended for Follicular Thyroid Cancer and is it the same answer for everyone with the same diagnosis or genetic risk?

Yes! Foods you eat matters for Follicular Thyroid Cancer!

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 Protocatechuic Acid, Curcumin, Lycopene, Eugenol, Umbelliferone. And Nance contains active ingredients Protocatechuic Acid, Curcumin, Eugenol, Umbelliferone, Lupeol and possibly others.

A common mistake made when deciding and choosing foods to eat for Follicular Thyroid Cancer – 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 Follicular Thyroid Cancer.

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

Skills Needed for Nutrition Personalization for Follicular Thyroid Cancer?

Personalized nutrition for cancers like Follicular Thyroid Cancer 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 Follicular Thyroid Cancer 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 Follicular Thyroid Cancer

All cancers like Follicular Thyroid Cancer can be characterized by a unique set of biochemical pathways – the signature pathways of Follicular Thyroid Cancer. Biochemical pathways like RAS-RAF Signaling, MAPK Signaling, Small Molecule Transport, Apoptosis are part of the signature definition of Follicular Thyroid Cancer. Each individual’s cancer genetics can be different and hence their specific cancer signature could be unique.

The treatments which are effective for Follicular Thyroid Cancer 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 Follicular Thyroid Cancer when taking cancer treatment Radiation, 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.

EPHB1, HRAS, BRAF, TERT and ATP12A are the top ranked reported genes for Follicular Thyroid Cancer. EPHB1 is reported in 10.5 % of the representative patients across all clinical trials. And HRAS is reported in 10.5 %. The combined population patient data cover ages from 17 to 70. 27.3 % of the patient data are identified as men. The Follicular Thyroid Cancer 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 Follicular Thyroid Cancer

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 ENDIVE or MUSTARD SPINACH?

Vegetable Endive contains many active ingredients or bioactives such as Protocatechuic Acid, Curcumin, Eugenol, Umbelliferone, Lupeol. These active ingredients manipulate various biochemical pathways like MAPK Signaling, MYC Signaling, Epithelial to Mesenchymal Transition and Oxidative Stress and others. Endive is recommended for Follicular Thyroid Cancer when ongoing cancer treatment is Radiation. This is because Endive modifies those biochemical pathways which have been scientifically reported to sensitize the effect of Radiation.

Some of the active ingredients or bioactives in vegetable Mustard Spinach are Protocatechuic Acid, Curcumin, Lycopene, Eugenol, Umbelliferone. These active ingredients manipulate various biochemical pathways like Oxidative Stress and others. Mustard Spinach is not recommended for Follicular Thyroid Cancer when ongoing cancer treatment is Radiation because it modifies those biochemical pathways which make the cancer treatment resistant or less responsive.

VEGETABLE ENDIVE IS RECOMMENDED OVER MUSTARD SPINACH FOR Follicular Thyroid Cancer AND TREATMENT Radiation.

Choose Fruit NANCE or PUMMELO?

Fruit Nance contains many active ingredients or bioactives such as Protocatechuic Acid, Curcumin, Eugenol, Umbelliferone, Lupeol. These active ingredients manipulate various biochemical pathways like MAPK Signaling, MYC Signaling, Epithelial to Mesenchymal Transition and Oxidative Stress and others. Nance is recommended for Follicular Thyroid Cancer when ongoing cancer treatment is Radiation. This is because Nance modifies those biochemical pathways which have been scientifically reported to sensitize the effect of Radiation.

Some of the active ingredients or bioactives in fruit Pummelo are Protocatechuic Acid, Curcumin, Lycopene, Eugenol, Umbelliferone. These active ingredients manipulate various biochemical pathways like Oxidative Stress and others. Pummelo is not recommended for Follicular Thyroid Cancer when ongoing cancer treatment is Radiation because it modifies those biochemical pathways which make the cancer treatment resistant or less responsive.

FRUIT NANCE IS RECOMMENDED OVER PUMMELO FOR Follicular Thyroid Cancer AND TREATMENT Radiation.

Choose Nut COMMON HAZELNUT or CHESTNUT?

Common Hazelnut contains many active ingredients or bioactives such as Protocatechuic Acid, Curcumin, Lycopene, Eugenol, Umbelliferone. These active ingredients manipulate various biochemical pathways like MAPK Signaling, MYC Signaling, Epithelial to Mesenchymal Transition and Oxidative Stress and others. Common Hazelnut is recommended for Follicular Thyroid Cancer when ongoing cancer treatment is Radiation. This is because Common Hazelnut modifies those biochemical pathways which have been scientifically reported to sensitize the effect of Radiation.

Some of the active ingredients or bioactives in Chestnut are Protocatechuic Acid, Ellagic Acid, Curcumin, Lycopene, Eugenol. These active ingredients manipulate various biochemical pathways like Epithelial to Mesenchymal Transition and Oxidative Stress and others. Chestnut is not recommended for Follicular Thyroid Cancer when ongoing cancer treatment is Radiation because it modifies those biochemical pathways which make the cancer treatment resistant or less responsive.

COMMON HAZELNUT IS RECOMMENDED OVER CHESTNUT FOR Follicular Thyroid Cancer AND TREATMENT Radiation.

For Individuals with Genetic Risk of Cancer

The question asked by individuals who have genetic risk of Follicular Thyroid Cancer 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 GARLAND CHRYSANTHEMUM?

Vegetable Cauliflower contains many active ingredients or bioactives such as Curcumin, Delphinidin, Formononetin, Isoliquiritigenin, Lupeol. These active ingredients manipulate various biochemical pathways like MAPK Signaling, MYC Signaling, Apoptosis and PI3K-AKT-MTOR Signaling and others. Cauliflower is recommended for risk of Follicular Thyroid Cancer when associated genetic risk is ATP12A. This is because Cauliflower increases those biochemical pathways which counteract the signature drivers of it.

Some of the active ingredients or bioactives in vegetable Garland Chrysanthemum are Curcumin, Apigenin, Myricetin, Delphinidin, Formononetin. These active ingredients manipulate various biochemical pathways like Small Molecule Transport, MYC Signaling and PI3K-AKT-MTOR Signaling and others. Garland Chrysanthemum is not recommended when risk of Follicular Thyroid Cancer when associated genetic risk is ATP12A because it increases the signature pathways of it.

VEGETABLE CAULIFLOWER IS RECOMMENDED OVER GARLAND CHRYSANTHEMUM FOR ATP12A GENETIC RISK OF CANCER.

Choose Fruit RED RASPBERRY or LIME?

Fruit Red Raspberry contains many active ingredients or bioactives such as Ellagic Acid, Quercetin, Curcumin, Delphinidin, Formononetin. These active ingredients manipulate various biochemical pathways like MAPK Signaling, RAS-RAF Signaling, EPHRIN Signaling and PI3K-AKT-MTOR Signaling and others. Red Raspberry is recommended for risk of Follicular Thyroid Cancer when associated genetic risk is ATP12A. This is because Red Raspberry increases those biochemical pathways which counteract the signature drivers of it.

Some of the active ingredients or bioactives in fruit Lime are Curcumin, Lycopene, Delphinidin, Formononetin, Isoliquiritigenin. These active ingredients manipulate various biochemical pathways like Small Molecule Transport and others. Lime is not recommended when risk of Follicular Thyroid Cancer when associated genetic risk is ATP12A because it increases the signature pathways of it.

FRUIT RED RASPBERRY IS RECOMMENDED OVER LIME FOR ATP12A GENETIC RISK OF CANCER.

Choose Nut BUTTERNUT or EUROPEAN CHESTNUT?

Butternut contains many active ingredients or bioactives such as Curcumin, Apigenin, Myricetin, Lycopene, Delphinidin. These active ingredients manipulate various biochemical pathways like MAPK Signaling, PI3K-AKT-MTOR Signaling, RAS-RAF Signaling and EPHRIN Signaling and others. Butternut is recommended for risk of Follicular Thyroid Cancer when associated genetic risk is ATP12A. 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 Ellagic Acid, Quercetin, Curcumin, Apigenin, Myricetin. These active ingredients manipulate various biochemical pathways like Small Molecule Transport, MYC Signaling and PI3K-AKT-MTOR Signaling and others. European Chestnut is not recommended when risk of Follicular Thyroid Cancer when associated genetic risk is ATP12A because it increases the signature pathways of it.

BUTTERNUT IS RECOMMENDED OVER EUROPEAN CHESTNUT FOR ATP12A GENETIC RISK OF CANCER.

In Conclusion

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

References

• Pancan Pcawg 2020
• Pan-cancer analysis of whole genomes.
• Inhibitory effect of Hibiscus protocatechuic acid on tumor promotion in mouse skin.
• Retinol decreases beta-catenin protein levels in retinoic acid-resistant colon cancer cell lines.
• Brassinin inhibits STAT3 signaling pathway through modulation of PIAS-3 and SOCS-3 expression and sensitizes human lung cancer xenograft in nude mice to paclitaxel.