Impact of baseline regular magnesium oxide administration on chemotherapy-induced constipation during...

Chemotherapy-induced constipation frequently occurs with cisplatin-containing treatments, partly because of concomitant neurokinin 1 and serotonin 3 receptor antagonists. We have clinically observed that patients with baseline regular laxative administration, most of whom were on magnesium oxide, exhibited less chemotherapy-induced constipation than those without, and assessed its impact on symptom development in real-world cisplatin-containing treatment.

Patients with lung cancer receiving cisplatin-containing treatment (n = 240) were divided into a control group without baseline laxative administration and a magnesium group with baseline regular magnesium oxide administration and retrospectively evaluated. The primary endpoint was evaluation of the incidence of grade ≥ 2 constipation during the first 7 days following treatment initiation.

Incidence of grade ≥ 2 constipation was 82.5% in the control group and 50.0% in the magnesium group, which was significantly less in the magnesium group (P < 0.0001). The incidence of all-grade symptoms was also significantly lower in the magnesium group than in the control group (67.5% vs. 84.5%, P = 0.02). Additionally, the administration of new laxatives was less common in the magnesium group (P = 0.007). Multivariable logistic regression analysis suggested that baseline administration of magnesium oxide is a preventive factor for grade ≥ 2 constipation. Furthermore, patients receiving 2 g daily magnesium oxide at baseline developed significantly less grade ≥ 2 constipation than those with < 2 g (19.1% and 84.2%, respectively, P < 0.0001).

The present study suggests that patients with baseline regular magnesium oxide administration exhibit less chemotherapy-induced constipation than those without the administration in cisplatin-containing treatments.