Leveraging Dietary Interventions to Benefit Patients with Hematologic Malignancies and Clonal Hematopoiesis.

Brzechffa Camille, Fleischman Angela G — Nutrients

Abstract

Diet is a modifiable factor that influences multiple pathways relevant to hematologic malignancy, including systemic inflammation, immune cell activity, gut microbiota composition, and cancer cell metabolism. Translation of preclinical findings into clinical practice for hematologic malignancies remains nascent, although momentum is building to evaluate dietary interventions as a component of supportive and disease-modifying care. This review examines the mechanistic rationale for dietary interventions across the spectrum of clonal hematologic disorders and synthesizes current clinical evidence. Anti-inflammatory dietary patterns, particularly the Mediterranean diet, have demonstrated reductions in pro-inflammatory cytokines and may attenuate the inflammatory milieu that fuels clonal expansion. Obesity, which elevates the risk of developing hematologic malignancies and worsens clinical outcomes in diseases such as acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) and acute myeloid leukemia, may be addressed through calorie-restricted, low-fat, or plant-based dietary strategies. Gut microbiota dysbiosis induced by chemotherapy represents another target, with high-fiber and plant-based diets showing promise in restoring microbial diversity and potentially enhancing treatment efficacy. Early-phase clinical trials in multiple myeloma, acute lymphoblastic leukemia, and myeloproliferative neoplasms have established feasibility and yielded preliminary signals warranting larger confirmatory studies. Larger, rigorously designed trials are needed to establish dietary interventions as legitimate therapeutic tools in the management of hematologic malignancies.

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