PURPOSE: To evaluate whether the daily intake of synbiotics interferes in radiation-induced acute proctitis symptoms and in quality of life in patients with prostate cancer.
METHODS AND MATERIALS: Twenty patients who underwent 3-dimensional conformal radiation therapy for prostate cancer were randomized to intake either a synbiotic powder containing Lactobacillus reuteri 10(8) colony-forming units and 4.3 g of soluble fiber (Nestlé) or placebo. The questionnaire EORTC QLQ-PRT23 was applied before the beginning of radiation therapy and in every week for the first 4 weeks of treatment. The sum of both the complete (proctitis symptoms plus quality of life) and partial (proctitis symptoms) scores of the EORTC QLQ-PRT23 (European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Module for Proctitis-23 items) questionnaire were the main endpoints.
RESULTS: This pilot study showed that the complete questionnaire score (median [range]) was higher in the second (23 [21-30] vs 26.5 [22-34], P< .05) and third (23 [21-32] vs 27.5 [24-33], P< .01) weeks in the placebo group. Proctitis symptoms were highest scored in the placebo group in both the second (19.5 [16-25]) and third (19 [17-24]) weeks than in the synbiotic group (week 2: 16.5 [15-20], P< .05; week 3: 17 [15-23], P< .01). In both scores the placebo group had a significantly higher result (P< .01) than the synbiotic group (repeated-measures analysis of variance).
CONCLUSIONS: Synbiotics reduce proctitis symptoms and improve quality of life in radiation-induced acute proctitis during radiation therapy for prostate cancer.
Written by:
Nascimento M, Aguilar-Nascimento JE, Caporossi C, Castro-Barcellos HM, Motta RT. Are you the author?
Department of Medicine, University Center of Varzea Grande (UNIVAG), Varzea Grande, Mato Grosso, Brazil; Department of Medicine, Federal University of Mato Grosso (UFMT), Cuiabá, Mato Grosso, Brazil.
Reference: Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys. 2014 Oct 1;90(2):289-95.
doi: 10.1016/j.ijrobp.2014.05.049
PubMed Abstract
PMID: 25304789