High-Fat Breakfast May Improve Lung Cancer Treatment: Study

A 3D illustration of lung cancer. Shutterstock

A recent randomized crossover trial uncovered a potential breakthrough for patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). The study suggests that opting for a fuller breakfast, as opposed to a low-fat breakfast, may significantly increase the concentration of a key treatment, alectinib, in the blood. This promising finding may potentially translate into improved survival rates for NSCLC patients.

Alectinib is a small-molecule kinase inhibitor. Initially receiving accelerated approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in December 2015, the drug obtained regular approval in 2017 for treating anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK)-positive metastatic NSCLC. The drug was found to be safe and effective and has become a first-line treatment for this advanced form of lung cancer.

Breakfast Choice Boosts Drug Concentration

Published in the June 2023 issue of the Journal of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network (JNCCN), the study shed light on the importance of the timing of alectinib administration in relation to meals. Patients who consumed a continental breakfast or a self-chosen lunch along with their initial dose of alectinib demonstrated a 14 or 20 percent higher concentration of the drug in their blood, respectively, compared to those who had a low-fat breakfast.