This is a quite fascinating paper from Iran. Bear in mind that none of the authors appears to be a native english speaker and that they could really have done with some editorial assistance, but the results seem quite significant to me. Seyfried gets a thank you for input to the study design but clearly was not an author.
Feasibility, Safety, and Beneficial Effects of MCT Based Ketogenic Diet for Breast Cancer Treatment: A Randomized Controlled Trial Study
They recruited patients who were deemed to need chemotherapy before breast cancer surgery. Half got chemo alone and the other half got chemo plus 12 weeks on a calorie restricted, MCT based ketogenic diet. They all went to surgery and were followed up post-op for about 30 months.
As far as I can make out 30 people in each group completed the intervention. Each of the cross ticks ("censored") are patients lost to follow up in some way, around 10 in each group.
It looks very much like none of the available for follow up patients in the intervention group died. Forty percent (about ten people?) died in the control group, p=0.04.
This is from a 12 week ketogenic pre-surgery intervention. If a drug had produced this effect it would be a blockbuster. There was no instruction to stay ketogenic after the 12 week trial period finished, though there are hints that at least some of the women did.
Interesting, to say the least.
Peter
