Glioma Modified Atkins-based Diet in Patients With Glioblastoma

Malignant gliomas have a high glycolytic rate and are dependent on glucose for energy metabolism. This so called "Warburg effect" or the reliance of central nervous system (CNS) tumor cells on glucose utilization through glycolysis has been identified as a potential therapeutic target in cancer metabolism. Preclinically, reduced cerebral glucose via calorie restriction has been repeatedly associated with tumor reduction and improved survival in glioma animal models. Such work has led to several early clinical studies evaluating the ketogenic diet (KD) in patients with recurrent GBM. The modified Atkins diet (MAD) is designed to provide a more palatable, less restrictive but effective alternative to the strict KD, particularly for adults. The MAD does not require inpatient admission for initial fast, weight of foods, or severe dietary restrictions and is generally well tolerated, easier to administer, and more practical for adults. The MAD lacks calorie restriction, an important component to dietary therapies in preclinical investigations. Emerging evidence also suggests that short term fasting may provide superior anti-cancer activity to long term calorie restriction and that these benefits have been observed without substantial weight loss that can be observed with longer term calorie restriction. In glioma patients, a diet therapy that combines the broad clinical application of the MAD with the caloric impact of short-term intermittent fasting is therefore optimal. Moreover, initiation of this diet when the cancer has already undergone induction therapy and is clinically and radiographically stable, may provide the optimal time for metabolic intervention to prevent recurrence or progression.