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Table 8 Diet duration, Glucose ketone index, clinical outcomes

From: Modified Atkins diet in advanced malignancies - final results of a safety and feasibility trial within the Veterans Affairs Pittsburgh Healthcare System

Patient

Tumor type

Weeks on trial, weeks total on diet

Glucose/Ketone index

Outcome

1

Cholangiocarcinoma

Less than 2 weeks

NA

Dropped out of study. Menu planning difficulties.

2

Glioblastoma

4

NA

Progressive disease at 4 weeks.

3

Prostate cancer

4

14.30

Stable tumor size at 4 weeks, but PSA was rising; dropped out of study

4

Melanoma

16 on trial, continued diet post trial till 80 weeks

17 (week 4)

23 (week 8)

14 (week 16)

Stable disease at 16 weeks, mixed findings, slow progression, active until shortly before death at 80 weeks

5

Renal cell cancer

4

3.23

Progressive disease

6

Pancreas

4

2.06

Progressive disease at 4 weeks. Muscular body builder habitus. Worked out daily.

7

Colon cancer

8

8.6 (week 4)

4.3 (week 8)

Stable at 4 weeks, mixed mixed CT scan findings and rising CEA at 8 weeks.

8

Papillary thyroid

8

1.9 (week 4)

5.2 (week 8)

Stable at 8 weeks, but removed because of grade 3 weight loss; still alive 15 months later. Declined follow up bloodwork.

9

Melanoma

16 weeks on trial, continued diet post trial till 116 weeks

7.8 (week 4)

28 (week 8)

31 (week 16)

Stable disease at 16 weeks, and at 92 weeks. Active till 2 days prior to death at 116 weeks.

10

Parotid

4

18.3

Progressed at 4 weeks. Diabetic.

11

Astrocytoma

NA

NA

Disqualified due to negative PET scan

12

Melanoma

16, continued diet post trial till 100 weeks. He reported at this time that he stopped the diet at around 80 weeks.

4.5 (week 4)

12 (week 8)

80 (week 16)

Stable at 16 weeks. Underwent metastectomy of remaining axillary disease.

PET/CT scan no evidence of disease at 131 weeks.

13

Head and neck

<4

12.14

Achieved ketosis in only 2 weeks out of 4. Progressed at 4 weeks.

14

Hepatoma

NA

NA

Progressed before starting diet.

15

Pancreas- post lung transplant; on multiple immunosuppresive anti-rejection drugs.

NA

NA

Very rapidly progressive disease. Progressed before starting diet.

16

Lung cancer

NA

NA

Had acute cardiac event and changed his mind before starting the trial.

17

Lung cancer

16

6.1 (week 4)

5.2 (week 8)

3.2 (week 16)

Stable at 4,8 and 16 weeks. Dieted for a week after 16, then back to standard diet. Died at 40 weeks.