Volume 9, Issue 5, May – 2024 International Journal of Innovative Science and Research Technology

ISSN No:-2456-2165 https://doi.org/10.38124/ijisrt/IJISRT24MAY1739

Metabolic Management of Cancer

Disease – A Review
Dr. Oyindamola Olaniyi Oyesaga1 (MBBS)
1
Medical Research Department, Helium Integrative Medicine Centre Ltd, Victoria Island, Lagos, Nigeria.

Abstract:- The US National Cancer Institute (NCI) define the meta-analysis research done on cancer at the
cancer as a disease in which some of the body’s cells are University of Cambridge, UK, it was concluded that
growing uncontrollably and are also spreading to other cancer is a mitochondrial disease and one of the effective
parts of the body. Cancer disease is a major cause of ways of managing it is through diets. So, it was concluded
deaths worldwide and from the World Health from the meta-analysis that cancer growth and
Organization (WHO) report, in year 2020 alone, cancer progression can be managed through a whole body
caused about 10 million deaths globally. Also from a transition from fermentable metabolites made up of
WHO report, cancer disease is responsible for 1 out of basically glutamine and glucose, to respiratory
every 4 to 5 deaths worldwide. Conventionally, the metabolites made up of majorly ketone bodies.
treatment of cancer is based on three major approaches,
viz; chemical therapy, surgery and radiation therapy. Keywords:- Cancer Disease, Cancer Management, Metabolic
But, the outcome and prognosis of the conventional Treatment, Cancer Review.
treatment of cancer disease is limited in its effectiveness,
so there is an urgent need for more research based I. INTRODUCTION
therapies that can effectively treat and manage cancer
disease. With that, the treatment outcome and the The US National Cancer Institute (NCI) define cancer as
survival rate of cancer will likely increase. Meanwhile, a disease in which some of the body’s cells are growing
the term tumour was originally applied to the swelling uncontrollably and are also spreading to other parts of the
caused by inflammation and there are two types of body.1 Meanwhile, cancer can start almost anywhere in the
tumours; benign tumours and malignant tumours. human body and normally when cells become damaged for
Cancer is the common term for malignant tumours and any reason, or when they grow old, they die. But, in the case
the normal progression of most malignant tumours can of cancer cells, they continue to grow after becoming
be divided into four phases, which are; malignant change damaged.1
in the target cells, growth of the changed cells, local
invasion of the surrounding tissues and organs by the Cancer disease is a major cause of deaths worldwide and
changed cells, and distant metastases of the changed cells from the World Health Organization (WHO) report, in the
to other organs. In the clinical diagnosis of cancer disease, year 2020 alone, cancer caused about 10 million deaths
systems have been developed to express the level of globally.2 Also from a WHO report, cancer disease is
differentiation of cancer within a patient (grade) and also responsible for 1 out of every 4 to 5 deaths worldwide.2
the extent of spread of cancer within a patient (stage). Meanwhile, the Global Cancer Observatory (GLOBOCAN)
The staging of cancers is based on the; size of the primary and the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC)
lesion, its extent of spread to regional lymph nodes, and reported that more than 18 million new cases of cancer occur
the presence or absence of blood-borne metastases. Two annually..3 That figure translates to about 1.5 million new
major staging systems are quite common and the first was cases of the disease every month.3 Worldwide, cancer disease
developed by the America Joint Committee (AJC) on is on the rise and going by the GLOBOCAN report, the
Cancer Staging, while the second was by the Union burden of cancer is expected to increase globally by about
Internationale Contre Cancer (UICC). The UICC 50% around year 2040.3
employs a classification called the TNM system. Normal
cells use the sophisticated process of respiration for their According to a WHO data, the most common cancers
cellular energy production, but cancer cells use the are cancer of the breast, cancer of the lung, cancer of the
primitive process of fermentation. However, no cell in its colon, cancer of the rectum, and cancer of the prostate. In
right conditions would ever use fermentation when there addition, each year, about 400,000 children develop cancer
is enough oxygen, especially considering that worldwide.2 The cost burden of cancer is quite high,
fermentation does not produce as much energy as especially when compared to other chronic diseases like
respiration, and it also creates toxic by-products. So, diabetes, stroke, etc. On average, it costs about $10,000 US
fermentation is primitive and wasteful. But, surprisingly, Dollars each month to care for cancer disease.4
cancer cells use fermentation even when there is plenty of
oxygen around. That very observation is the basis of the
explanation for the Warburg effect, which is considered
to be the metabolic signature of most cancer cells. From

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Volume 9, Issue 5, May – 2024 International Journal of Innovative Science and Research Technology
ISSN No:-2456-2165 https://doi.org/10.38124/ijisrt/IJISRT24MAY1739

Conventionally, the treatment of cancer disease is based degree of differentiation of the tumour cells and the number of
on three major approaches, viz; chemical therapy, surgery and mitoses within the tumour, since it correlates to the
radiation therapy. But, the outcome and prognosis of the neoplasm’s aggressiveness. In grading, cancers are classified
conventional treatment of cancer disease is limited in its as grades I to IV, and that is in accordance with increasing
effectiveness, so there is an urgent need for more research anaplasia. However, the criteria for the individual grades vary
based therapies that can effectively treat and manage cancer from one cancer to another, but the objective is to determine
disease. With that, the treatment outcome and the survival rate the extent to which the cancer cells resemble or fail to
of cancer patients will likely increase.5 resemble their normal counterparts.6

II. DISCUSSION For the staging of cancers, it is based on; the size of the
primary lesion, its extent of spread to regional lymph nodes,
Cancer disease is a cellular disorder of cell behaviours and the presence or absence of blood-borne metastases. Two
and cell growth. Therefore, its ultimate cause has to be major staging systems are quite common and the first was
defined at the cellular and also at the subcellular levels. developed by the America Joint Committee (AJC) on Cancer
Meanwhile, the study of cancer patterns in populations Staging, while the second was by the Union Internationale
contribute substantially to the knowledge about the origins of Contre Cancer (UICC). The UICC employs a classification
the disease. For example, the concept that chemicals can called the TNM system. The T stands for primary tumour, N
cause cancer arose from the rigorous observations of Sir stands for regional lymph node involvement, and M stands for
Percival Pott, who was able to link the increased incidence of metastases.6 However, it should be noted that staging has
scrotal cancer in chimney sweeps to their chronic and proven to be of more clinical value than grading, and in some
continuous exposure to soot.6 cases, like lung cancers, staging can been greatly aided by
imaging techniques such as Positron Emission Tomography
A. The Pathology of Cancer (PET) scan.
The term tumour was originally applied to the swelling
caused by inflammation and there are two types of tumours; C. The Immune System and the Conventional Treatment of
benign tumours and malignant tumours. Cancer is the Cancer
common term used to refer to malignant tumours.6 The immune system functions in such a way that it
Meanwhile, the normal progression of most malignant always keeps a record of virtually all the disease-causing
tumours can be divided into four phases; malignant change in agent it has encountered in the past. And those records are
the target cells, growth of the changed cells, local invasion of usually kept inside the B-lymphocytes, and the T-
the surrounding tissues and organs by the changed cells, and lymphocytes. Together, these specialized white blood cells are
distant metastases of the changed cells to other organs.6 referred to as the memory immune cells, since they can
quickly recognize and destroy disease-causing agents anytime
Almost all benign tumours remain localized to their site it enters the body again. That way, the attack and destruction
of origin and cannot infiltrate, invade, or metastasize to distant of any harmful agent are immediately carried out before the
sites like a malignant tumour. So, the growth of malignant disease-causing agent can be able to multiply inside the body
tumours (cancers) is usually accompanied by the gradual and and then cause illness.7
continuous infiltration, invasion, and destruction of the
surrounding tissues. This process is called local invasion.6 The So, the major purpose of the immune system is to
invasiveness of cancers permits them to penetrate blood prevent and limit infections. Meanwhile, the immune system
vessels, lymphatic vessels, and body cavities. This then can distinguish between unhealthy cells and healthy ones, by
provide the opportunity for their spread from the sites of using a system referred to as the Danger Associated
origin to other distant sites and organs. This spreading is Molecular Patterns (DAMPs). However, a cell may become
called metastases and metastases usually mark a tumour as unhealthy due to infections, or from damages to the cells by
being malignant, considering that benign tumours do not disease-causing agents like cancer. In addition, the immune
metastasize.6 system works through a system called Pathogen Associated
Molecular Patterns (PAMPs). The PAMPs is the system
For most cancers, the more aggressive the cancer is, the usually responsible for disease-causing agents like viruses and
more rapidly growing, and the larger the primary tumour will bacteria.8 The immune system can attack and (or) inactivate
be. This then generally increases the likelihood of such disease-causing agents directly, or indirectly, through both the
cancers metastasizing to a distant site, or has even already cellular inflammatory process and the molecular inflammatory
metastasized to a distant site. Unfortunately, the metastatic process. The importance of the immune system to survival
spread of cancer often reduces the possibility of a patient cannot be overemphasized and a demonstration of its
recovering from, or surviving, the disease.6 importance can be seen in the devastating consequences of the
immune system breakdown usually observed in Acquired
B. Staging and Grading of Cancer Disease Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) patients. Therefore, to
In the clinical diagnosis of cancer disease, systems have survive diseases like cancer, the role of the immune system is
been developed to express the level of differentiation of very critical.8
cancer within a patient (grade) and also the extent of spread of
cancer within a patient (stage), as parameters of the clinical
diagnosis of the disease.6 So, grading of cancer is based on the

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Volume 9, Issue 5, May – 2024 International Journal of Innovative Science and Research Technology
ISSN No:-2456-2165 https://doi.org/10.38124/ijisrt/IJISRT24MAY1739

Treating cancer is usually a highly complex process, and consumption rate in many cancer cells was greater than the
the conventional treatment approaches which is made up of consumption of any other amino acid by 10-fold.11 Emerging
surgery, chemotherapy and radiotherapy is commonly used. evidences have therefore proven that cancer is primarily a
Meanwhile, significant advances are being made in recent metabolic disease involving disturbances in the cellular
times, which includes; targeted therapy, stem cell therapy, energy production. So, the genomic instability that is usually
nanoparticles, ablation therapy, radionics, natural observed in most cancer cells and all the other recognized
antioxidants, chemodynamic therapy, sonodynamic therapy, hallmarks of cancer cells are actually a downstream
etc. Also, the current systems of oncology focus on the epiphenomena of the initial disturbances of cellular energy
development of efficient and safe cancer nanomedicines. metabolism.8 Cancer growth and progression can therefore be
Meanwhile, stem cell therapy has provided some promising managed through a whole body transition from fermentable
efficacy in regenerating and repairing damaged or diseased metabolites made up of basically glucose and glutamine, to
tissues. That is usually achieved by targeting both the respiratory metabolites made up of majorly ketone bodies.12
metastatic and primary cancer foci. Also, the use of
nanoparticles has brought new therapeutic and diagnostic As previously stated above, virtually all cancer cells
options to cancer treatment.9 depend heavily on glucose for their survival and that is how
PET scans are able to find many tumours hiding within
In addition, some targeted therapies have good normal tissues. The PET scans functions by following
breakthrough potentials for inhibiting the spread and growth radioactive glucose as it travels through the bloodstream.10
of specific cancer cells, thereby reducing the damages to That is, because radio-labeled glucose accumulates in tumour
healthy cells. An example of that is the ablation therapy which tissue more than in the normal tissues surrounding it, it
has emerged as a minimally invasive procedure that can usually lights up the tumour tissues on the PET scan.
freeze or burn cancers, without the need for an open surgery. Meanwhile, a strong link has been established between high
Generally, the most commonly recommended conventional blood sugar (hyperglycemia), which is usually present in
treatment of cancer is the surgical resection of the tumors, diabetes, and the incidence of cancer disease in diabetic
which is then followed by radiotherapy using x-rays, and (or) patients.10 Also, hyperglycemia has been directly associated
chemotherapy. Out of all the treatment options at an early with poor prognosis in those with malignant brain cancer. And
stage of cancer progression, surgery is the most effective it has also been linked to the fast growth of most malignant
method. Usually, the concern with radiation therapy is that it cancers. Moreover, research has shown that hyperglycemia
can damage healthy cells, organs, and tissues. For usually raises insulin levels and eventually the raised insulin
chemotherapy, although it is generally associated with end up stimulating cancer cells to take in and use more
reduced morbidity and mortality of cancer, but almost all the glucose.10
chemotherapeutic agents damage healthy cells because they
usually attack rapidly growing and dividing cells. Meanwhile, So, if food consumption is restricted or controlled in a
the efficiency of conventional cancer treatments are usually way that it will lower the blood glucose, then the use of
reduced due to the unique pathology of tumours and also the fermentation process by tumour cells, instead of respiration
architectural abnormality of most tumour blood vessels.9 process, will become difficult. It will also become difficult for
the tumour cells to recruit new blood vessels and that will
D. Metabolic Treatment of Cancer and the Warburg Effect eventually slow down the growth of the tumour. Generally,
Normal cells use the sophisticated process of respiration glucose restriction stresses cancer cells. For healthy cells, they
for energy production, while cancer cells use the primitive prefer to use ketones and fatty acids for their energy
process of fermentation.10 However, no cell in its right production.13 That is, glucose restriction is good for healthy
condition would ever choose to use fermentation when there cells and bad for cancer cells. Therefore, considering the
is enough oxygen, considering that fermentation does not limitations of conventional cancer treatments and the usually
produce nearly as much energy and it also creates toxic by- poor prognosis of such treatments, it has become necessary
products. So, fermentation is primitive and wasteful. But, that for medical researchers to find other effective treatments for
notwithstanding, cancer cells use fermentation even when managing cancer and thereby increase the chances of
there is plenty of oxygen around and that observation is the surviving the disease. Such treatments will be more promising
basis of explanation for the Warburg effect, which is if it is under the direct control of cancer patients. And an
considered to be the metabolic signature of most cancer example of that is the type of food and diets which cancer
cells.11 patients consume.

After the early findings of the metabolic differences At this point, since research has shown the favourite
between cancer cells and normal cells, Warburg and his co- source of energy metabolite for cancer cells to be sugar,7 it
workers also showed that cancer cells metabolize about 10- would therefore be beneficial for cancer patients to reduce
fold more glucose (sugar) into lactate at any given time than their intake of foods and diets which are high in sugar
normal cells. So, that led their Research Team to conclude contents. Meanwhile, sugar comes in different types and
that the cellular respiration chain in cancer cells are damaged.7 forms, such as; sucrose, glucose, fructose, etc. Also, sugar can
Meanwhile, apart from the the high dependence of cancer be categorized into either natural (the unrefined and
cells on sugar, the observation that proliferating cancer cells unprocessed sugar) or artificial (the refined and processed
are also very dependent on glutamine was firstly reported by sugar).14 So, the sugar to be avoided as part of the metabolic
Eagle in 1955. Eagle and his team observed that the glutamine management of cancer disease, using diets, is the artificial

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Volume 9, Issue 5, May – 2024 International Journal of Innovative Science and Research Technology
ISSN No:-2456-2165 https://doi.org/10.38124/ijisrt/IJISRT24MAY1739

sugar. By nature, and also by molecular design, sugar is not the potential for the formulation of drugs and (or) therapies
found in a free and unbounded state. That is, in its natural which can provide a broad spectrum prevention and treatment
form, sugar (such as glucose, sucrose, fructose) come of cancer.11
bounded with; enzymes, vitamins, minerals, fibres, nutrients,
etc. So, it is the bounded sugar that is good and healthy for In conclusion, various emerging evidences have
consumption, especially by cancer patients.14 But, the indicated that cancer is primarily a metabolic disease
artificial sugar usually found in processed food and drinks, involving the disturbances of cellular energy production.
have been stripped of; enzymes, vitamins, minerals, fibres, Meanwhile, the genomic instability usually observed in tumor
and nutrients; and must therefore be avoided or reduced as cells and all the other recognized hallmarks of cancer are
much as possible. The reason for that is that since artificial actually downstream epiphenomena of the initial disturbances
sugars have been stripped in such a way that they have of cellular energy metabolism. Meanwhile, the disturbances in
become free and unbounded, during digestion they usually tumor cells energy metabolism has been linked to the
cause spikes in blood glucose level, hyperglycemia, and abnormalities in structure and function of the mitochondria.
research have shown that hyperglycemia promotes cancer But, when viewed as a mitochondrial metabolic disease, the
growth and aggressiveness.15 evolutionary theory of Lamarck can better explain cancer
progression, as against the evolutionary theory of Darwin. So,
Therefore, cancer patients who control their diets, by cancer growth and progression can be managed through a
avoiding or reducing the consumption of processed foods, whole body transition from fermentable metabolites basically
processed drinks, refined sugar, table sugar, etc. stands a made up of glucose and glutamine, to respiratory metabolites
higher chance of surviving the disease. And the reason is majorly composed of ketone bodies.12
because they will be able to systematically starve the cancer
cells in their body to death.11,15 So, instead of consuming food ACKNOWLEDGMENT
and diets made up of artificial or refined sugar, cancer patients
will benefit greatly from the consumption of food from None.
natural and unprocessed sources, like; whole grains, raw
organic nuts and seeds, whole-wheat flour, unprocessed REFERENCES
tubers, unprocessed fruits, etc.
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ISSN No:-2456-2165 https://doi.org/10.38124/ijisrt/IJISRT24MAY1739

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