Trial reportThe oncologist2025
Effect of a whole food plant-based dietary intervention on cancer progression and inflammatory markers.
Trial report in The oncologist, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
2 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.
- Pooled it
- Long-Term Dietary Changes and Mortality among Participants of a Whole Food Plant-Based Pilot Study for Metastatic Breast Cancer.Current developments in nutrition · 2026Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
8 authors.
Funding
Abstract
introductionPersistent inflammation and features of the tumor microenvironment are linked to poorer prognosis in breast cancer. This study examined the effects of a whole food, plant-based (WFPB) diet on serum biomarkers of proliferation, apoptosis, angiogenesis, and inflammation in women with metastatic breast cancer.
methodsWomen with stage 4 breast cancer undergoing treatment were randomized to either a WFPB diet (n = 20) or usual care (n = 10) for 8 weeks. Blood samples collected at baseline, 4, and 8 weeks were analyzed for disease progression and inflammation markers, including IL-1β, IL-6, IL-8, IL-12, MCP-1, PDGF-AB/BB, FGF-2, MIF, sFasL, TNF-α, TRAIL, CA15-3, HGF, leptin, VEGF-A, VEGF-C, VEGF-D, and angiopoietin-2. Data were evaluated using t-tests, ANCOVA, and Pearson's correlations.
resultsWhile no statistically significant between-group differences were found-likely due to the small control group-several within-group changes were observed in the WFPB group. TNF-α decreased significantly by week 8 (P < .05), as did leptin at both weeks 4 and 8 (P < .001). Novel findings include significant decline in CA15-3 and VEGF-C levels by week 8 (both P < .05). CA15-3 positively correlated with sFasL (R = 0.72, P < .001), TRAIL (R = 0.58, P < .05), and TNF-α (R = 0.52, P < .01).
conclusionThis randomized trial is among the first to assess dietary intervention effects on progression-related biomarkers in metastatic breast cancer. The WFPB diet was associated with reductions in inflammatory and tumor markers, suggesting potential to reduce inflammation and slow disease progression. Further research is warranted.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.