A high fiber diet would be better for people with melanoma and especially if they are undergoing immunotherapy treatment.
- Melanoma accounts for 10% of skin cancers.
- Women are the most affected, 53% for her against 47% for men. And the average age of diagnosis is usually 56 years old.
- Consuming five grams more dietary fiber each day would reduce the risk of cancer progression or death by 30% and make immunotherapy treatment more effective.
In 2018, 7,886 new cases of melanoma were recorded in men and 7,627 in women in France, according to Santé Publique France. Among them, 1,135 deaths were recorded among men and 840 among women. It is one of the most serious skin cancers. The treatments offered depend on the advanced stage of the tumours: surgery, medication, radiotherapy or even immunotherapy (a therapeutic approach that acts on a patient’s immune system to fight against their disease).
According to a recent study published in the journal Science, a diet rich in fiber would be very beneficial for patients with this pathology. According to the researchers, their life expectancy would be longer, with a slower to almost stable evolution of their cancer compared to people who do not consume enough fiber.
5 grams of fiber for 30% less risk
“Our research as well as past studies have shown that gut microbes impact response to immunotherapy treatment, but the roles of diet and probiotic supplementation have not been well studied. work sheds light on the impact of a patient’s diet and the use of probiotics when starting treatment”, said Jennifer Wargo, author of the works.
The study showed that diet, and fiber in particular, may contribute to better outcomes in cancer treatment, including immunotherapy. According to the results, every five gram increase in daily fiber intake was associated with a 30% reduction in the risk of cancer progression or death. Immunotherapy was also more effective in people who ate fiber and did not take probiotic supplements than in those who did not eat fiber but took probiotics.
“Dietary fiber is important for gut health, just as it is important for overall health, and those two things are very closely related”, underlined Carrie Daniel-MacDougall, who participated in this work. In this study, scientists found that dietary fiber played a role in the effectiveness of cancer treatment, meaning there is now room to consider further studies to answer questions often asked by patients. : “Does what I eat now matter and can have an impact on the effectiveness of my treatment?”.
Between 25 and 30 grams of dietary fiber per day
Per day, an adult should consume between 25 and 30 grams of dietary fiber per day. For this, certain foods are preferred, such as fruits, vegetables, legumes and certain whole grain products. Their virtues for our health are numerous: they promote the growth of good intestinal bacteria, help with weight management, contribute to good digestion and limit bad blood cholesterol. Dietary fiber could well, according to this study, also improve the care of patients with melanoma.
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