Evidence map›Paper›PMID 17352022›Full record

Trial reportWorld journal of gastroenterology2007

Use of probiotics for prevention of radiation-induced diarrhea.

P Delia, G Sansotta, V Donato, P Frosina, G Messina, C De Renzis, G Famularo

Abstract readRandomized Controlled Trial
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Trial report in World journal of gastroenterology, 2007. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 130 papers, 16 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
130citing papers in PubMed, 16 pooled it
10.7field-weighted citation impact, top 1% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

130 citing papers in PubMed, 16 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 305 citations in OpenAlex.

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  9. Microbiome-gut-brain axis in cancer treatment-related psychoneurological toxicities and symptoms: a systematic review.Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer · 2021
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  13. Systematic Review: The Impact of Cancer Treatment on the Gut and Vaginal Microbiome in Women With a Gynecological Malignancy.International journal of gynecological cancer : official journal of the International Gynecological Cancer Society · 2017
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  16. Systematic review of agents for the management of gastrointestinal mucositis in cancer patients.Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer · 2013
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  17. A phase II clinical trial ofFrontiers in nutrition · 2025
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70 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

7 authors at 1 institution in 2 countries.

P DeliaInstitute of Radiology, Oncologic Radiotherapy Unit, Azienda Ospedaliera Universitaria, Messina, Italy.
G Sansotta
V Donato
P Frosina
G Messina
C De Renzis
G Famularo
Research Institute of Radiology · BY

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

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

methodsThis 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.

resultsMore 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).

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

Indexed as

AntidiarrhealsColonic NeoplasmsDiarrheaDose-Response Relationship, DrugDouble-Blind MethodFemaleHumansLactobacillusLoperamideMaleProbioticsRadiation InjuriesRadiotherapyRisk FactorsUterine Cervical NeoplasmsAntidiarrhealsLoperamide

Identifiers

PMID17352022
PMCPMC4065928
OpenAlexW2359714630

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.