Use of probiotics for prevention of radiation-induced diarrhea

AIM: To investigate the efficacy of a high-potency probiotic preparation on prevention of radiation-induced diarrhea in cancer patients.

METHODS: This was a double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. Four hundred and ninety patients who underwent adjuvant postoperative radiation therapy after surgery for sigmoid, rectal, or cervical cancer were assigned to either the high-potency probiotic preparation VSL#3 (one sachet t.i.d.,) or placebo starting from the first day of radiation therapy. Efficacy endpoints were incidence and severity of radiation-induced diarrhea, daily number of bowel movements, and the time from the start of the study to the use of loperamide as rescue medication.

RESULTS: More placebo patients had radiation-induced diarrhea than VSL#3 patients (124 of 239 patients, 51.8%, and 77 of 243 patients, 31.6%; P < 0.001) and more patients given placebo suffered grade 3 or 4 diarrhea compared with VSL#3 recipients (55.4% and 1.4%, P < 0.001). Daily bowel movements were 14.7 ± 6 and 5.1 ± 3 among placebo and VSL#3 recipients (P < 0.05), and the mean time to the use of loperamide was 86 ± 6 h for placebo patients and 122 ± 8 h for VSL#3 patients (P < 0.001).

CONCLUSION: Probiotic lactic acid-producing bacteria are an easy, safe, and feasible approach to protect cancer patients against the risk of radiation-induced diarrhea.

Prophylaxis of diarrhoea in patients submitted to radiotherapeutic treatment on pelvic district: personal experience

Diarrhoea is a severe side-effect of radiotherapy on the pelvic area. It is due to acute enteric damage. We aimed at determining the ability of a highly concentrated freeze-dried living bacteria compound (VSL/3) to reduce these side-effects in 190 patients receiving radio therapy on the pelvic area. A total of 95 patients received radiotherapy alone and 95 were also administered VSL/3 bags, at doses of one bag three times a day beginning on the first day of the radiotherapy treatment. The same diet was indicated for both groups. All patients were irradiated for 6 to 7 weeks, with Linac X-6 MV or 15 MV through a box multiportal technique with the lower limit of the fields below the obturator foramina, upper limit at L5-S1, lateral limit 1.5 cm beyond the innominate hip. The total radiated dose ranged from 60 to70 Gy for a daily dose of 180 cGy. Gastroenteric toxicity was rated in WHO degrees. Two patients receiving radiotherapy alone had to discontinue the treatment due to acute enteritis. Toxicity was found in 52 (50.6%) patients with radiotherapy alone vs 36 (30.5%) patients receiving VSL/3. None of them had to discontinue radiotherapy. Toxicity of degrees 3 or 4 was found in 28 patients receiving radiotherapy alone vs 7 with VSL/3. These preliminary data suggest the effectiveness of VSL/3 in preventing the occurrence of diarrhoea in patients submitted to radiotherapy with a direct and indirect improvement of their quality of life and a good tolerance.

Prognostic factors in ambulatory patients with inoperable locoregionally recurrent rectal cancer following curative surgery

BACKGROUND

The optimal treatment for locoregionally recurrent rectal cancer after curative surgery has not yet been defined. The definition of prognostic factors could lead to the selection of an aggressive therapeutic approach in patients with favourable prognosis alone.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

The records of thirty-nine ambulatory pts, 15 female and 24 male, with diagnosis of locoregionally recurrent rectal cancer (LRRC) after curative surgery and treated with radiotherapy were retrospectively analyzed. The following factors were analyzed for their ability to predict the clinical response and outcome for LRRC: age, sex, initial tumor grading, primary surgical approach, initial primary tumor stage according to Dukes' classification, disease free survival (time to primary surgery and detection of a LRRC), pelvic-perineal structure affected by recurrence, total radiation dose, chemotherapy with fluorouracil, symptomatic response to the therapy, locoregional symptomatic re-recurrence, systemic progression disease.

RESULTS

In the univariate analysis, predictive factors for survival, were graded (G1-2 vs G3 p = 0.04), Dukes' stage at first diagnosis (A-B vs C p = 0.01), and site of pelvic-perineal recurrence (Pelvic mass alone yes vs no p = 0.01; Nerve and/or Osseous involvement yes vs no p < 0.001). Following therapy for LRRC, a better survival was observed in pts with a complete symptomatic response (complete remission vs partial remission vs no change p < 0.001), without a further locoregional symptomatic re-recurrence (re-recurrence, yes vs no p = 0.001) and/or appearance of metastatic disease (yes vs no p < 0.001).

[Palliative treatment in neoplastic jaundice. Personal experience]

The palliative treatment of biliary duct neoplastic obstruction represents a problem of great importance and frequently can't leave out of consideration patients clinical conditions and phase of neoplastic disease. Authors, in this article refers their experience on palliative treatment of neoplastic jaundice and indications for surgical or endoscopic treatment. Their experience shows that surgical palliation must be performed in patients with preoperative instrumental investigations without "surgical risk", this vouches for a better quality of life than endoscopic procedure performed with diffuse neoplastic disease and in patients with surgical risk.

[Artificial nutritional approach in the palliative treatment of esophageal cancer]

Authors, after to linger over necessity of artificial nutritional approach in patients with inoperable esophageal cancer, emphasize the various moments and condition where is right to operate. In conclusion, they wish the increase of early diagnosis, one and only to guarantee appraisable results.