Therapeutic Potential of a Plant-Based Diet in Reducing Pain and Tumor Growth

Over half of women diagnosed with ovarian cancer report having disease-related pain and traditional cancer therapies cause negative side effects, including pain. Over the last several decades, there have been minimal improvements in the treatment of cancer pain. A high-quality, nutrient-dense diet is associated with positive outcomes in various cancers, and quality of life is positively impacted by a healthy dietary intervention. However, studies looking at the interaction between diet, cancer, and pain are severely lacking. Our innovative anti-inflammatory diet (AID) has previously been shown to decrease pain in mice following injury and to decrease tumor size in mice with kidney cancer. This project will provide the first steps in evaluating the potential for diet to be used as an impactful therapy for individuals diagnosed with ovarian cancer and concurrent pain. Here, we explored relationships between ovarian tumor burden and measures of pain sensitivity and spontaneous pain in mice. Tumor-bearing mice exhibited mechanical hypersensitivity prior to any decrease in body condition. Prophylactic treatment with our AID and the impact on tumor growth and mechanical hypersensitivity is currently under investigation, as is the effect on the tumor microenvironment. As such, our data support the use of ovarian cancer cell lines to induce cancer-related peripheral sensitivity in mice and provide the framework for future studies investigating the interaction between common cancers, diet, and chronic pain development. Due to the safety profile, our research has the potential to be rapidly moved into clinical testing for ovarian cancer patients who are experiencing pain. Funded by the Norma Livingston Ovarian Cancer Foundation.