According to a recent paper by a Swiss research institute, various processes in the body are regulated by a 24-hour circadian rhythm, and it is suggested that the “timing” is also a crucial factor in cancer treatment.
The study analyzed various published data to examine the relationship between “timing” and cancer. The researchers found that cancer cells control the development, progression, and metastasis of cancer by generating proteins at different times of the day, and the timing may also affect the accuracy of cancer diagnosis (biopsy and CTC testing) and treatment outcomes.
For example, breast cancer tends to metastasize at night, while prostate cancer tends to metastasize during the day. In terms of treatment, melanoma patients who took immunotherapy drugs before 4:30 PM had nearly double the survival rate compared to those who took it after that time.
Additionally, in therapies targeting the cancer-specific enzyme CYP1B1, it is essential to administer them during the morning to evening when CYP1B1 is activated. There are still many unknowns regarding the relationship between time and cancer, but it may become an important consideration in cancer treatments, including intravenous therapy and nutritional therapy, in the future.
Munenori Matsuzawa
References：
Diamantopoulou Z. et al. A new time dimension in the fight against metastasis. Trends in Cell Biology, 2023
