BREAST CANCER RESPONSE TO NEOADJUVANT CHEMOTHERAPY AND CALORIC RESTRICTION

Objective Some authors have hypothesized that caloric restriction (CR) could determine a reduction in the onset of some types of cancer and in their progression. The aim of the study is to compare the efficacy of CR combined with neoadjuvant chemotherapy versus a standard diet combined with neo-CT in women with breast cancer (BC). Methods and procedures 81 patients were enrolled, 22 in the CR group and 59 in the control group. CR scheme was designed as follow: caloric intake reduced by 50% of total energy expenditure in the 48h before and in the neo-CT day; by 30% the following days until T2 (6 months). Results The analysis at T2 are showing that in the CR group 72,2% had a complete response to the treatment while in the control group the 28,8% had a complete response. The results highlight a positive effect of the CR on the response to the therapy (OR=4.12 95%CI from 1.29 to 13.11). Conclusion The results obtained show that CR, monitored by a nutritionist and a trained dietitian, could represent an effective and inexpensive method in strengthening the cytotoxicity of standard neo-CT, both in terms of size reduction and malignancy reduction in BC, leading to a better clinical outcome.