There may be interactions between cancer drugs and certain foods that affect the effectiveness of the therapy. Targeted nutritional advice during the treatment period is therefore advisable.
In the case of numerous cancers, targeted therapies with so-called tyrosine kinase inhibitors can stop the tumor from progressing and positively influence its further course. In order not to jeopardize the effectiveness of this therapy, however, attention should be paid to the use of other medication and diet. This comes from an article in the journal InFo Hematology + Oncology.
If tyrosine kinase inhibitors are taken in tablet form, interactions with drugs that inhibit gastric acid production are possible. If the pH value in the stomach is too high because acid production is suppressed, the tyrosine kinase inhibitors cannot develop their effect properly because they cannot dissolve well and pass into the blood. For certain tyrosine kinase inhibitors, simultaneous therapy with gastric acid blockers resulted in a decrease in drug concentration of up to half. The design of the cancer therapy must therefore be carefully considered if, at the same time, a medicinal throttling of gastric acid is unavoidable.
Diet also plays a role in the effectiveness of tyrosine kinase inhibitors when they are taken as tablets. Certain foods can improve the solubility and thus the effectiveness of the tyrosine kinase inhibitors, while others can make them worse. This creates fluctuations in the effect that ultimately have a negative impact on the progress of the cancer therapy. It is therefore generally recommended to take tyrosine kinase inhibitors before meals on an empty stomach in order to create a uniform starting point when taking them. Incidentally, this applies not only to food, but also to drinks. For example, unfavorable interactions between green tea and tyrosine kinase inhibitors have been demonstrated, which is why it is advisable to allow several hours to pass between taking the tyrosine kinase inhibitor and the first cup of green tea each day.
Those:
Lipp HP et al. Effects of food and gastric pH modulation under TKI therapy. InFo Hematology + Oncology 2021, 24 (1-2): 10-7
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