Glioblastomas (GBM) originate from astrocytes in the brain and rapidly divide due to the increased number of blood vessels surrounding neurological tissue. This increases the malignant potential of GBM tumors.
There is much research around the treatment of GBMs. Evidence shows that the ketogenic diet and hyperbaric oxygen therapy are two treatments, that when used in combination have an exceptionally positive effect on GBM and have the ability to eradicate and manage GBM growth.
The ketogenic diet is a strict diet limiting the amount of carbohydrates (sugar) that an individual consumes. This includes carbohydrates from fruits and vegetables in addition to grain products. The premise behind the ketogenic diet involves restricting sugar, which feeds tumor cells in order to lessen the malignant potential of GBMs. Essentially the goal is to “starve” the GBM cells of sugar so that they cannot multiply.
Hypoxic or low-oxygen conditions allow GBM tumors to gain resistance to the environment, permitting the growth of cancer cells making up the GBM. These hypoxic conditions have also shown to increase sensitivity of GBM cells to chemotherapy and radiation, making conventional treatment of GBMs less effective than they could be. Hyperbaric oxygen therapy is thought to induce oxidative stress on GBM, thus disrupting the process of carcinogenesis in the brain.
In combination, both the ketogenic diet and hyperbaric oxygen therapy is deemed one of the best combination treatment options. Neither of these treatments has negative effects on non-cancerous, normal cells. The common denominator is that both of these methodologies affect the metabolic processes of cancer in a non-toxic manner, changing the physiological environments of GBM cells, providing the best therapeutic effect and demonstrating exceptional clinical outcomes.
