Effects of active addition of bacterial cultures in fermented milk to patients with chronic bowel discomfort following irradiation

Abstract

Radiotherapy is a cornerstone in the treatment of malignancies in the pelvis. Consequently, there is usually exposure of the intestine and especially the lower colon and rectum, with ensuing disturbances in bowel habits at different times following radiotherapy. The main problem is diarrhoea associated with lactose intolerance, bile salt absorption and fat malabsorption. Bacterial contamination has also been described. In the present study we have evaluated the influence of the active administration of specific bacterial cultures in fermented milk, which inhibit the growth of potentially pathogenic micro-organisms, to 40 consecutive patients with chronic alteration in their bowel habits caused by previous radiotherapy of pelvic malignancies. The results suggest that intake of fermented milk products could be of value in decreasing chronic bowel discomfort following radiotherapy of pelvic malignancies. However, a more extensive study is warranted in order to very the significance of the results and to find the optimal product.

Role of nutritional intervention in patients treated with radiotherapy for pelvic malignancy

“…Neither study identified significant improvements in chronic bowel symptoms in patients randomised to the intervention. In one trial (Henriksson et al, 1995), gastrointestinal symptoms improved in both groups. However, the control group Weight changes (mean and confidence interval) during pelvic radiotherapy was taking a placebo probiotic supplement containing strains thought not to be relevant for gastrointestinal symptoms.…”

“…Probiotic supplementation in fermented milk or sachet presentation compared to placebo (Henriksson et al, 1995;Urbancsek et al, 2001). Elemental diet (uncontrolled) (Beer et al, 1985).…”

“…Probiotics were used in two double-blinded randomised studies (Henriksson et al, 1995;Urbancsek et al, 2001), which included 246 patients. These were supplemented into diet as 300 ml twice daily of a fermented yogurt product containing active L1A Lactobacillus lactis and one Lactobacillus rhamnosus sachet three times daily, respectively.…”

The efficacy and safety of probiotics for prevention of chemoradiotherapy-induced diarrhea in people with abdominal and pelvic cancer: a systematic review and meta-analysis

“…As displayed in Supplementary Table S1, of the 11 studies, seven studies had no AEs caused by probiotics in prevention of chemoradiotherapy-induced diarrhea, [14][15][16][17]19,20,29 whereas four studies reported AEs with varying degrees in their treatment. 5,21,30,31 The 11 studies included 1612 people (873 consuming probiotics and 739 not consuming probiotics).…”

Protective Effects of the Fermented Milk Kefir on X-Ray Irradiation-Induced Intestinal Damage in B6C3F1 Mice

“…20) For therapeutic purposes against radiation-induced GICs, probiotics can be administered singly or as combinations of several strains selected for their antidiarrheal and anti-inflammatory effects. [3][4][5]20,22) However, the effectiveness of probiotics against GICs remains inconclusive to date. 4) A probiotic known as Kefir has become increasingly popular in recent years for its beneficial effects on human health.…”