Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is the most deadly primary brain tumor in the United States (1). Current median life expectancy is 8-15 months (1, 3). Standard treatment is typically palliative in nature and while there are new therapies, improved long term survival needs verification (1,2,3). The ketogenic diet (KD) – described below, has shown promising results in animal models with malignant brain tumors, but few human studies detail results for treatment of primary brain tumors with the KD (4). Currently, the data that the KD alone for patients with GBM improves survival is limited since most patients are also on chemo/radiation therapies (3). However, secondary tumor associated seizure activities appear to be reduced in those patients on KDs (3).
To read the full article by Meredith P. Morgan, MS, RD, LD click here.
