A small pilot study found that short-term fasting before and after chemotherapy was linked to better tumor response and longer progression-free survival in women with advanced ovarian cancer.
A simple change in meal timing may help improve outcomes for women with the most common and aggressive form of ovarian cancer, a new study suggests.
Researchers tested short-term fasting in 36 women with stage 3 or stage 4 serous ovarian cancer who were receiving chemotherapy before surgery.
Patients were assigned to either continue their normal diets or fast for 36 hours before chemotherapy and 24 hours after each treatment.
The results: women who fasted were more likely to experience a stronger tumor response to the chemotherapy.
They also went longer without their cancer progressing — 38 months, compared to 24 months for women eating normally.
The researchers believe fasting helps lower insulin, a hormone that can send growth and survival signals to cancer cells.
In this study, insulin rose in the control group but dropped in the fasting group.
The lead author says women with advanced ovarian cancer still face poor outcomes, highlighting the “urgent need” for safe, low-cost strategies that may help improve treatment response.
The researchers are continuing to study how fasting affects the body, immune system, and response to chemotherapy. Larger clinical trials are planned.
Source: The findings of this pilot study were presented at the 2026 American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Annual Meeting.
Author Affiliations: Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Agostino Gemelli
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