Time-Restricted Eating and Cancer: Lessons Learned and Considerations for a Path Forward

Time-restricted eating (TRE) is a type of intermittent fasting (IF). Food can be consumed as desired during the eating period, but not during the remainder of the day. Studies suggest that many of the health benefits of fasting may not simply be the result of weight loss, but also due to the body’s responses to the fasting that lead to improved metabolic functioning. While animal studies are convincing regarding the benefits of time restricted feeding, human (TRE) studies are less consistent and generally short term (< 1 year). In 2020, the National Cancer Institute (NCI) funded five IF studies, four of which focused on TRE, which addressed the question “How does intermittent fasting affect cancer incidence, treatment response, or outcome?” NCI sponsored a webinar in 2023 featuring investigators of the funded studies in which they discussed challenges as well as their thoughts regarding the most important TRE topics that should be addressed going forward. Six areas were identified, which are discussed below as well as in a recently published NOT-CA-24-073: Factors impacting how Time-Restricted Eating (TRE) influences cancer-related outcomes. Moving the science forward will allow the scientific community to better understand TRE’s potential. This potential includes the development of targeted TRE interventions to optimize long-term adherence to the intervention, which is required to better understand fully explore its potential benefits in cancer risk, increased response to cancer treatment, as well as improved quality and quantity of life among cancer survivors.