title: Counseling patients on cancer diets: a review of the literature and recommendations for clinical practice.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Many cancer patients use cancer diets.
  
  
  METHODS
  We listed 13 cancer diets simulating an internet search for which we systematically reviewed clinical data. In the next step we derived recommendations on counseling patients using a Delphi process.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We evaluated the following diets: raw vegetables and fruits, alkaline diet, macrobiotics, Gerson's regime, Budwig's and low carbohydrate or ketogenic diet. We did not find clinical evidence supporting any of the diets. Furthermore, case reports and pre-clinical data point to the potential harm of some of these diets. From published recommendations on counseling on complementary and alternative medicine, we were able to derive 14 recommendations for counseling on cancer diets.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Considering the lack of evidence of benefits from cancer diets and potential harm by malnutrition, oncologists should engage more in counseling cancer patients on such diets. Our recommendations could be helpful in this process.
authors.affiliation: Working Group Integrative Oncology, Dr. Senckenberg Chronomedical Institute, J.W. Goethe University Frankfurt, Frankfurt am Main, Germany. Huebner@med.uni-frankfurt.de.
authors.forename: Jutta
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Huebner
authors.forename: Sabine
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Marienfeld
authors.forename: Clare
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Abbenhardt
authors.forename: Cornelia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Ulrich
authors.forename: Karsten
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Muenstedt
authors.forename: Oliver
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Micke
authors.forename: Ralph
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Muecke
authors.forename: Christian
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Loeser
mesh_terms: D000529:Complementary Therapies; D003376:Counseling; D004032:Diet; D006801:Humans; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000517:prevention & control*; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic; D012196:Review Literature as Topic
keywords: Breuss cure; Budwig diet; Cancer diet; Gerson's regime; alkaline diet; ketogenic diet; macrobiotics; patient counseling; raw food diet; review