EFFICACY OF PROBIOTICS IN PREVENTING CHEMOTHERAPY-INDUCED DIARRHEA IN GASTROINTESTINAL CANCER PATIENTS

Area of Science:

• Gastroenterology
• Oncology
• Microbiome Research

Background:

• Chemotherapy-induced diarrhea (CID) is a frequent and severe side effect in cancer patients, especially those with gastrointestinal malignancies.
• CID can lead to serious health issues like dehydration and treatment delays, impacting patient outcomes.
• The gut microbiome's role in CID is increasingly recognized, positioning probiotics as a potential therapeutic strategy.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the effectiveness of a multi-strain probiotic (Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium species) in preventing CID among gastrointestinal cancer patients.
• To evaluate if probiotic supplementation can mitigate the incidence and severity of diarrhea during chemotherapy.

Main Methods:

• A randomized controlled trial involving 28 gastrointestinal cancer patients receiving chemotherapy (fluoropyrimidine, oxaliplatin, and/or irinotecan).
• Participants received either a placebo or a daily oral dose of 20 billion colony-forming units (CFU) of a specific probiotic mixture for 90 days.
• Bowel habits were monitored using the Bristol stool scale and patient diaries.

Main Results:

• The probiotic group showed no statistically significant reduction in grade 2/3 diarrhea episodes compared to the placebo group (44.44% vs 55.56%).
• Overall incidence of diarrhea was similar between the probiotic and placebo groups (64.29% vs 71.43%).
• While the median number of diarrhea episodes was slightly lower in the probiotic group (8 vs 9), this difference was not statistically significant (P=0.639).

Conclusions:

• The tested probiotic mixture did not demonstrate a statistically significant benefit in preventing chemotherapy-induced diarrhea in patients with gastrointestinal cancer.
• No specific patient subgroups benefited from the probiotic intervention.
• No probiotic-related infections were observed during the study period.