[Efficacy of Elental on prevention for chemotherapy-induced oral mucositis in colorectal cancer patients].

BACKGROUND

The present study was designed to evaluate the preventive effects of elemental diet Elental (ED) on chemotherapy-induced stomatitis in patients with colorectal cancer.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A total of 23 patients with colorectal cancer experiencing grade 1-3 stomatitis during treatment with chemotherapy (2- or 3-week per cycle) entered the current study. Their average age was 67 years, ranging from 44 to 84 years.

RESULTS

A total of 22 patients received the same chemotherapy regimen, but also received more than 80 g of Elental (ED) (including 1, 932 mg of L-glutamine), per day. FOLFOX, FOLFIRI or XELOX-based chemotherapy was used. A dose reduction of 5-FU, capacitabine or S-1 was performed in 5 patients who experienced grade 2 or 3 stomatitis. The maximum grade of stomatitis decreased in 18 of the 22 patients after the first treatment course, and decreased in 20 of 22 patients after the second course with ED.The preventive efficacy of ED on stomatitis was noted in a dose-dependent manner.Similarly, the maximum grade of neutropenia decreased in 10 of 11 patients after their first or second treatment course with ED.

CONCLUSION

We conclude that ED can significantly decrease the severity of chemotherapy-induced stomatitis in colorectal cancer patients in association with the control of neutropenia.