[blithedale]

A lot of people might think "Ah, well, fasting is clearly effective for the 1/3 that are able to carry it out, just gotta make sure you have the willpower to be the 1/3."

But hold on. Slow down. There's a good chance the "women who fasted had better chemo responses" story completely REVERSES cause and effect. Here's how:

    WOMEN 1 - Has indolent biology, slower growing tumor than your average breast cancer at this stage.
 - Symptoms: Less pain, neuropathy, less swelling, tumors not affecting distant organs as much

    WOMEN 2 - Has aggressive biology, faster growing tumor than your average breast cancer at this stage.
 - Symptoms: More pain, neuropathy, more swelling, tumors begin to affect distant organs

So ask yourself: Which women is more likely to be able to follow a strictly regimented diet?

Clearly WOMEN 1.

[blithedale]

This is like making people with cancer do an Ironman triathalon.

People about to enter hospice and pass on in a few weeks are gonna be way less able to complete it than someone who has months left to live.

But all you've done is stratify your patients.

The triathalon doesn't make anyone live longer.