[Jackie07]

Found the article below when I was thinking about sharing my latest experience with probiotics. Thought this thread is a logic place for it. There is a cluster called HNPCC (Hereditory Nonpolyposis Colon Cancer [2nd Brother] that links to breast cancer and brain cancer [me], cancer of the digestive tract, cancer of other reproductive organs, and Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma [Mother]. So I'm glad to learn that probiotic will help cut my colon cancer risk.

Rarely had urinary tract infections until the chemotherapy put me into menopause 8 years ago. I was put on Cipro again for UTI last month, and soon after finishing the 10-day course I developed angular (corner of the mouth) cheilitis and weird bowel movements. After eating extra yogurt and Ganoderma Lucidum (a mushroom [powder]), I am happy to report that everything (bowel movement) is back to 'normal'.

Antibiotics - just like chemotherapy - kills bad bacteria as well as the good ones that are essential to maintaining a healthy digestive system. It did not dawn on me until today (or perhaps I'd known it already? - Idelle, please start your special new thread on 'Chemobrain' quickly... [OK, I see it - in the Breast Cancer News under 'State of the Research in Chemobrain'] that all the problems I've been experiencing lately was caused by the antibiotics.

Thought perhaps some of our sisters who are undergoing treatment could benefit from the information provided in this abstract:

Crit Rev Food Sci Nutr. 2011 Mar;51(3):239-47.
Evidence supporting the use of probiotics for the prevention and treatment of chemotherapy-induced intestinal mucositis.

Prisciandaro LD, Geier MS, Butler RN, Cummins AG, Howarth GS.
Source

Discipline of Agricultural and Animal Science, School of Agriculture, Food and Wine, University of Adelaide, South Australia. luca.prisciandaro@adelaide.edu.au

Abstract

Although chemotherapy remains the current best practice for the treatment of neoplasia, the severity of its associated side-effects continues to impact detrimentally on the quality of life. Mucositis can affect both the oral cavity and intestine, and represents one of the most common side-effects of chemotherapy. It is characterized by ulceration, inflammation, diarrhoea, and intense abdominal pain.

Despite extensive research there remains no definitive therapy for mucositis. This may be due to the multiple factors which contribute to its pathogenesis, including up-regulation of pro-inflammatory cytokines, increased apoptosis of epithelial cells, alteration of the gastrointestinal microbiota, and damage to the epithelium.

Although employed increasingly in other gastrointestinal disorders, probiotics are yet to be comprehensively investigated in the treatment or prevention of chemotherapy-induced mucositis. Probiotic-based therapies have been shown to exert beneficial effects, including modulation of the microbiota and inhibition of pro-inflammatory cytokines. This review outlines the current evidence supporting the use of probiotics in intestinal mucositis, and suggests further research directions for the future.

PMID:21390944[PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]