The effect of fasting on normal and cancer cells with chemotherapy responses

Abstract

Impact statement The potential societal impacts The potential impacts or benefits to society include increasing the awareness of the public of the benefits of fasting in order to reduce the risk of cancer worldwide. In addition, many scientists believe that fasting can be a potentially feasible, safe, and effective choice in cancer therapy to decrease chemotherapy side effects, suppress tumor progression and further improve prognosis. Also, a big additional advantage would be that it doesn’t cost money as well as most people can implement a dietary strategy quickly and easily for better lifestyle, should a clinical benefit be demonstrated (Young 2012). The potential economic impacts Fasting can suppresses cancer development in the first place which therefore could potentially reduce the number of cancer cases because the cost of chemotherapy has increased in the last decade from £130 to £250-260 per session, and cycle length differs depending on type and stage of the cancer (NHS 2018). Most people in the UK would be treated through the NHS, and by following the fasting strategy for cancer prevention and treatment, the UK government/NHS would also potentially save money. Many cancer patients believe that cancer could affect both health and finances, especially since insurance companies in UK don't always cover chemotherapy sessions (except the very expensive insurance). These kinds of issue may affect the psychology of patients before and during the chemotherapy session, which may therefore affect their responses and the prognosis of the treatment. By following both short- and long-term fasting strategies, we could reduce the chemotherapy sessions and the total cost, which could reduce the stress of patients and help them to be more tolerant to therapy. However, Saudi Arabia has free healthcare, including chemotherapy, with a budget around 250 million Saudi riyals (about 55 million pound) per year could reduce chemotherapy sessions and reduce the huge amount of spending on chemotherapy by following fasting strategies for better prognoses (Qurashi et al. 2012).

Who might benefit from this research? This project and all other studies and researches that relate to this topic can provide a potential impact and benefit to healthy people or cancer patients, by comparing between various types of fasting based on various aspects such as age, cancer type and stage of tumour. The great benefit of this project is to enable cancer patients to decide which type of fasting (short fasting or calories restrict) is more promising than others in term of chemotherapy responses