Ask HN: A friend has brain cancer: any bio hacks that worked?

Re:Ask HN: A friend has brain cancer: any bio hacks that wor... by bArray on Friday January 10, 2025 @09:17AM (#42655732)

I just now checked out my theory of switching to a keto diet - this appears to be terrible advice.

There appears to be some initial idea of using keto to control cancer [1]. My working theory is that cancer is a high-replication cell, and the ketogenic diet is anti-growth, increasing the probability of it outgrowing the resources available. It appears possible to starve them of glucose [2].

In reality, it appears the keto diet may encourage metastatis, by promoting BACH1 [3]. You may end up with weaker cancer spread around the body. It's extremely unclear if this is a better situation or not.

[1] https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6375425/

[2] https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S08999...

[3] https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11152127/

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Re:Ask HN: A friend has brain cancer: any bio hacks that wor... by markjohnson9 on Friday January 10, 2025 @09:38AM (#42655904)

Thank you for this. I don't have your background but I have GBM and research it and yes agree there is a total bypass in your system for keto. Your body finds a way to get what it needs. Keto might buy some time before that takes effect but it is not a solution.

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Re:Ask HN: A friend has brain cancer: any bio hacks that wor... by y0ink on Friday January 10, 2025 @10:31AM (#42656498)

If you went the keto route, you may want to explore BACH1 inhibition. Study [3] acknowledges the effective role of keto in reducing or controlling tumor size, but with an associated increase in BACH1 expression appearing to account for the increased metastasis (in mice).

Apparently there are a couple small molecule inhibitors that inhibit BACH1 (see ChatGPT). Unfortunately, they seem to be still in the experimental or early clinical stages.

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Re:Ask HN: A friend has brain cancer: any bio hacks that wor... by bArray on Friday January 10, 2025 @09:50AM (#42656044)

I'm not in the medical profession, I'm just a humble internet user. It's entirely possible you know more than me - I'm happy to hear other ideas.

> Keto might buy some time before that takes effect but it is not a solution.

It might still be a solution. The cancer may be spread out and easier for the body to effectively tackle. Also note that it may depend on type or location.

One thing that does seem clear is that if you do go the keto route, you would need to stick at it. If you purposefully break it down, it spreads, then you give it back the fuel, it would probably make the situation far worse by growing rapidly in multiple locations.

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Re:Ask HN: A friend has brain cancer: any bio hacks that wor... by markjohnson9 on Wednesday January 15, 2025 @10:24PM (#42720721)

You would definitely need to stick with keto. I have actually heard a lot of good, small testimonials. Some of them are from science journals and just lack the patient size. However, I don't think it would really buy me survival just a little more time at best. My conclusion is it could be worth pursuing but with my limited time I am just not willing to make the sacrifice. Not without having a better sense that it would cure me. For that reason I will pursue some other alternate strategies such as the spinning magnets.

Thank you for your help.

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Re:Ask HN: A friend has brain cancer: any bio hacks that wor... by serguzest on Friday January 10, 2025 @11:00AM (#42656791)

Have you read Thomas Seyfried's researches. he says it is possible to strangle cancer cells with keto diet + blocking glutamine. He calls that 'press-pulse strategy'

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Re:Ask HN: A friend has brain cancer: any bio hacks that wor... by denniskubes on Friday January 10, 2025 @08:40PM (#42662526)

https://www.amazon.com/Cancer-Metabolic-Disease-Management-P...

This is Seyfried’s book describing the pulse strategy.

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