Tissue effects of glutamine in rectal cancer patients treated with preoperative chemoradiotherapy

The aim was to evaluate the effects of glutamine on tumor regression and histological damage in patients with rectal patients following chemoradiotherapy previous to surgery.

Ten patients with rectal cancer surgically removed after chemoradiotherapy were included, a subgroup of a randomized trial that compared glutamine and placebo in the prevention of acute radiation enteritis. Samples of neoplasm and healthy tissue were evaluated by an expert pathologist searching for signs of tumor regression, muciphages, and signs of radiation-induced damage.

There were no differences in the grade of tumor regression with either glutamine or placebo. All patients who received glutamine presented muciphages, compared with 28.6% of the placebo group (p = 0.038). Histological damage was similar in patients receiving glutamine or placebo, and between those with radiation enteritis or without toxicity.

Glutamine did not exert a protective effect over chemoradiotherapy in rectal cancer or healthy rectal tissue.