Giralt, J., Regadera, J. P., Verges, R., Romero, J., de la Fuente, I., Biete, A., … Guarner, F. (2008). Effects of probiotic lactobacillus casei DN-114 001 in prevention of radiation-induced diarrhea: Results from multicenter, randomized, placebo-controlled nutritional trial. International Journal of Radiation Oncology, Biology, Physics, 71(4), 1213–1219.
To determine whether a liquid yogurt containing Lactobacillus casei DN-114 reduces the incidence or the severity of diarrhea in patients with cervical carcinoma receiving radiation therapy with concomitant cisplatin or in patients with postoperative endometrial adenocarcinoma receiving radiation therapy
Patients receiving conventional fractionation pelvic radiation therapy for cervical carcinoma (radiation therapy with weekly cisplatin) or for endometrial adenocarcinoma were randomly assigned to receive 96 mL of fermented liquid containing yogurt with Lactobacillus casei DN-114-001 or the same amount of placebo in 2-mg capsules, three times per day. Loperamide was used as necessary as rescue medication; no other antidiarrheal medications were permitted. Consumption of loperamide was recorded. Patients kept daily diaries.
The study was conducted at multiple outpatient settings in Spain.
Patients were undergoing the active treatment phase of care.
This was a placebo-controlled, double-blind, randomized clinical trial in two parallel groups.
The Bristol Stool Scale, National Cancer Institute (NCI) Common Toxicity Criteria (CTC), and European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) Quality of Life Questionnaire - C30 were used.
The use of a fermented liquid yogurt containing Lactobacillus casei DN-114-001 did not decrease the incidence of radiation-induced diarrhea.
The probiotic Lactobacillus casei does not appear to decrease the incidence of radiation-induced diarrhea.