What Should I Eat if I Have Leiomyosarcoma?

Foods that may help limit the damage cancer can cause include a vegan diet, an overall healthy diet (low in red meat, and high in fruits, vegetables, and whole grains), cruciferous vegetables, tomatoes, resveratrol (a compound found in red berries, plums, grapes, and red wine), chili peppers, and vitamins and other supplements.

Leiomyosarcoma (LMS) is a rare type of soft tissue cancer that grows in the smooth or involuntary muscles. Leiomyosarcoma typically affects the uterus but can also affect other areas of the body such as the bladder or gastrointestinal system.

Leiomyosarcoma is an aggressive cancer that may spread (metastasize) to other areas of the body such as the lungs or liver, potentially causing life-threatening complications. 

While diet is not a primary treatment for leiomyosarcoma, it may help improve a patient’s quality of life and survival rate because an estimated 40% of patients die from complications related to malnutrition, not cancer. 

There are some foods that are thought to help limit the damage cancer can cause, such as: 

• Vegan diet 
  • This is a diet that contains no animal products, including no meat, poultry, seafood, dairy, or eggs 
  • Vegan diets have been shown to be more cancer preventive than any other type of diet
  • Can be difficult to learn to balance needed protein and B vitamins
  • A raw food diet (a type of vegan diet) may not have sufficient protein or calories as well
  • Talk to a dietician to make sure you get the nutrition you need on a vegan diet
• Overall healthy diet
  • For those unable to follow a vegan diet, a diet a low in saturated fat, low in red meat, and high in fruits, vegetables, and whole grains is recommended 
  • Eating whole fruits and vegetables is better than juicing, because cancer treatment usually causes constipation and fruits and vegetables contain a lot of fiber
    • Juicing may be a good option, however, for patients who have mouth sores
• Cruciferous vegetables and tomatoes
  • Cruciferous vegetables include broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, and kale
  • These vegetables contain an anticancer substance called indole-3-carbinol
  • Studies in lab rats have shown that consumption of cruciferous vegetables may help reduce the size of tumors
  • Tomatoes are not cruciferous but they are also considered cancer preventive 
• Resveratrol
  • This is a compound found in red berries, plums, and grapes, as well as in red wine
  • Enzymes in tumors transform resveratrol into piceatannol, an anti-cancer agent
• Chili peppers 
  • Chili peppers contain capsaicin, which attacks mitochondria, often called the “powerhouse” of a cell 
  • In cancer patients, killing off mitochondria may also attack the disease 
• Vitamins and other supplements
  • Cancer patients may find their appetites are diminished
  • Vitamins and other supplements can help patients get the nutrition they need
  • Extra protein and B vitamins may be needed during recovery from treatment
  • Red meat or iron supplementation will probably be necessary if anemia develops due to iron deficiency
  • Talk to your doctor or dietician about what supplementation might be needed

Eating healthy is important overall, but it is not the mainstay of treatment for leiomyosarcoma. Treatment depends on the size and location of the tumor and may include one or more of the following: 

• Surgery
  • The best treatment option
  • Surgical excision and removal of the entire tumor and surrounding tissue (resection)
  • May include reconstructive surgery depending on the location
  • If all the tumor is removed, there is a good chance for a cure 
  • If some cancer cells are left behind, there is a chance of recurrence 
• Radiation therapy
  • May be used around the time of surgery
  • Radiation is aimed at the tumor area to prevent it from growing back after removal
• Chemotherapy
  • Used in combination with surgery for larger tumors, or when cancer cells have spread to other parts of the body

Leiomyosarcoma frequently recurs after treatment when it is not diagnosed early. Chemotherapy and radiation therapy are not always effective in slowing or stopping progression of leiomyosarcomas. Leiomyosarcomas are very rare, so no standard effective type of chemotherapy or radiation therapy has been identified.