FASTIM Study

Program Director:
Dr. Monica Arnedos, medical oncologist

Assessing the Role of Nutrition in Breast Cancer and Evaluating Two Types of Fasting Before Surgery

For women with localized breast cancer, it is possible to administer targeted therapy or immunotherapy before surgery. This precision medicine approach allows for the selection of the treatment that will be most effective after surgery. In addition, our researchers have discovered that fasting before surgery can naturally boost immunity against tumors.

Program Objectives:

• To demonstrate that fasting before surgery boosts immunity.
• To evaluate the impact of preoperative nutritional approaches on the effectiveness of new treatments.
• To identify biomarkers of efficacy for these new approaches.

I was diagnosed in January 2012, following a mammogram and an ultrasound performed at Gustave Roussy. The ultrasound showed a suspicious mass. Professor Laurence Zitvogel then suggested that I have a biopsy right away. The results showed that I had HER2-positive breast cancer, a very aggressive and recurrent form of the disease. This news devastated me. The standard treatment for my cancer would have been: mastectomy, chemotherapy, and radiation therapy.

However, the doctors offered me the opportunity to participate in a preoperative clinical trial led by Dr. Monica Arnedos. It involved administering two targeted drugs before surgery to reduce the size of the tumor and thus make the surgical procedure less invasive. At that stage of the disease, my entire breast would have had to be removed. I agreed, without knowing whether I would receive the new treatment or placebos. My desire to contribute to research and the hope of extending my life convinced me. In the end, I received the treatment because the tumor had shrunk by half.

The surgery went well, and the surgeon didn’t have to remove my entire breast. I then resumed chemotherapy and radiation therapy sessions. It’s been six years now that I’ve been savoring every day, and I can’t thank Dr. Arnedos and all the healthcare providers at Gustave Roussy enough. I want to emphasize that while the treatment itself is important, the teams at Gustave Roussy were also incredibly attentive and kind. That helped me immensely in getting through this difficult ordeal.

Brigitte, 57, treated at Gustave Roussy for HER2-positive breast cancer