title: Water-only fasting and an exclusively plant foods diet in the management of stage IIIa, low-grade follicular lymphoma.
abstract: Follicular lymphoma (FL), the second most common non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL), is well characterised by a classic histological appearance and an indolent course. Current treatment protocols for FL range from close observation to immunotherapy, chemotherapy and/or radiotherapies. We report the case of a 42-year-old woman diagnosed by excisional biopsy with stage IIIa, grade 1 FL. In addition to close observation, the patient underwent a medically supervised, 21-day water-only fast after which enlarged lymph nodes were substantially reduced in size. The patient then consumed a diet of minimally processed plant foods free of added sugar, oil and salt (SOS), and has remained on the diet since leaving the residential facility. At 6 and 9-month follow-up visits, the patient's lymph nodes were non-palpable and she remained asymptomatic. This case establishes a basis for further studies evaluating water-only fasting and a plant foods, SOS-free diet as a treatment protocol for FL.
authors.affiliation: Department of Nutritional Medicine, TrueNorth Health Center, Santa Rosa, California, USA.
authors.forename: Alan C
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-4120-3694
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Goldhamer
authors.affiliation: Department of Nutritional Medicine, TrueNorth Health Center, Santa Rosa, California, USA.
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Klaper
authors.affiliation: Department of Nutritional Medicine, TrueNorth Health Center, Santa Rosa, California, USA.
authors.forename: Afsoon
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Foorohar
authors.affiliation: Department of Nutritional Medicine, TrueNorth Health Center, Santa Rosa, California, USA.
authors.forename: Toshia R
authors.initials: TR
authors.lastname: Myers
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D004039:Diet, Sodium-Restricted; D000067269:Diet, Vegan; D004042:Dietary Fats, Unsaturated; D019422:Dietary Sucrose; D060766:Drinking Water; D005215:Fasting; D005260:Female; D006119:Groin; D006801:Humans; D008198:Lymph Nodes / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D008224:Lymphoma, Follicular / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000178:diet therapy*; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed
chemical_list: D004042:Dietary Fats, Unsaturated; D019422:Dietary Sucrose; D060766:Drinking Water