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Cancer research

Glutamine Supplementation Reduces Diarrhea in Colorectal Cancer Patients

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— 1 min read

A new meta-analysis published in BMC Gastroenterology has found that glutamine supplementation can significantly reduce the incidence of diarrhea in patients with colorectal cancer, particularly those undergoing chemotherapy or chemoradiotherapy. The study, conducted by researchers from the Emergency General Hospital, included 5 studies with a total of 311 patients and found that glutamine supplementation reduced the incidence of chemoradiation-induced diarrhea in colorectal cancer patients by 28% compared to the control group.

Key Takeaways:

  • Glutamine supplementation can reduce the incidence of diarrhea in patients with colorectal cancer, particularly those undergoing chemotherapy or chemoradiotherapy.
  • The meta-analysis included 5 studies with a total of 311 patients and found a significant reduction in diarrhea incidence.
  • Glutamine supplementation reduced the incidence of chemoradiation-induced diarrhea in colorectal cancer patients by 28% compared to the control group.
  • The study found that glutamine supplementation was more effective in reducing diarrhea incidence in patients receiving chemotherapy alone.
  • The research was conducted by a team of researchers from the Emergency General Hospital, led by Lijuan Chen, Department of Emergency, Emergency General Hospital.
  • The study was registered on INPLASY (registration number: INPLASY202490057) and followed the guidelines of the Preferred Reporting Project for Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA2020).

Statistics:

  • 311 patients were included in the meta-analysis.
  • 5 studies were included in the meta-analysis.
  • Glutamine supplementation reduced the incidence of chemoradiation-induced diarrhea in colorectal cancer patients by 28% (RR = 0.72, 95%CI: 0.60-0.87, P 0.05).
  • D-xylose levels were significantly higher in the glutamine group (MD = 0.32, 95%CI: 0.14-0.51, P 0.05).

Sources:

  • Glutamine prevents diarrhea in colorectal cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy or chemoradiotherapy: a meta-analysis. BMC Gastroenterology, 2025, 25(1):1-7.
  • https://doi-org.sdpl.idm.oclc.org/10.1186/s12876-025-04308-w
  • NewsRx LLC (2025, October 28). Studies from Emergency General Hospital Describe New Findings in Colon Cancer (Glutamine prevents diarrhea in colorectal cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy or chemoradiotherapy: a meta-analysis). Cancer Weekly, p 2371.

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