JAMA ONCOLOGY: MEDITERRANEAN DIET BENEFITS WITH ADVANCED MELANOMA

 

• Study links Mediterranean diet with improved efficacy of immunotherapy for patients with metastatic melanoma
• Mediterranean diet high in whole grains, fish, nuts, fruits and vegetables rich in fiber, unsaturated fat, antioxidants and polyphenols demonstrates improved immunotherapy response
• Mediterranean dietary pattern associated with positive response to immune checkpoint blockade, a relatively new and successful treatment against severe cancers

 Scientists at the Netherlands’ University Medical Center Groningen (UMCG) together with researchers at King's College London (KCL) revealed the encouraging results of their most recent dietary study in today’s edition of JAMA Oncology. Their study demonstrated that eating a Mediterranean diet, a dietary pattern high in whole grains, fish, nuts, fruits and vegetables that is rich in fiber, unsaturated fat, antioxidants and polyphenols is associated with an improved immunotherapy response in patients with metastatic melanoma, a serious form of skin cancer.

Here is the JAMA link: https://edhub.ama-assn.org/jn-learning/audio-player/10.1001/jamaoncol.2023.75 and an Adobe version of the study is available upon request.

The study, supported by the Seerave Foundation, an innovative grant-making family foundation, showed that a Mediterranean dietary pattern was positively associated with the response to immune checkpoint blockade (ICB), which is a relatively new and highly successful form of immunotherapy against severe cancers. These drugs cause the immune system to recognize, clear and destroy cancer cells.

The UMCG and King's College teams found that diet has the potential to improve ICB efficacy and tolerability. A potential mechanism underlying this association between diet and immunotherapy response is the gut microbiome. Preclinical and clinical studies have shown immunomodulatory and anti-tumor activities of several nutrients—including fiber, polyphenols, and antioxidants—that are mediated via the gut microbiome.

Today’s JAMA Oncology study, authored by UMCG’s Laura Bolte, Johannes Björk, Geke Hospers and Rinse Weersma, together with their colleagues at King's College London, Karla Lee, Veronique Bataille and Tim Spector, analyzed the dietary habits of 91 patients with advanced melanoma. They were all treated with checkpoint inhibitors and followed for 12 months. CT scans were used to measure the effect of immunotherapy on patients, and progression-free survival established after one year.

https://www.biospace.com/article/jama-oncology-researchers-report-mediterranean-diet-benefits-patients-with-advanced-melanoma/