Letter Written by an Oncologist

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Tokirbymd

As an oncologist, this is fascinating work. Imagine- genetic mutations aren’t the CAUSE of cancer, merely a BYPRODUCT (albeit quite harmful) of underlying metabolic mitochondrial abnormalities. Some mitochondrial abnormalities are inherited from your mother which may partially explain some genetic predisposition yet also leaves room for environmental insults to our mitochondrial process that cause subsequent damage and resulting somatic DNA mutations. So the first part makes some sense. I have seen targeted agents continue to have only partial response due to the tremendous number of somatic mutations in a tumor mass. however I think the second part, that ketosis diets will CURE cancer is less likely. Certainly some cancers have not generated enough subsequent mutations so that ketosis and fixing an underlying metabolic defect will allow the body to repair what is left. However, some cancers are far enough developed with enough genetic mutations that even repairing the underlying problem doesn’t cure the cancer- think killing termites. If you catch them early you can save your house, but if too late, even if you eradicate them all, the damage isalready done. Definitely an intriguing line of research. If we can either prevent the mitochondrial damage to begin with, or catch the cancer before the multiple mutations have occurred then we may have found a true cure.