Preventive effects of amino-acid-rich elemental diet Elental® on chemotherapy-induced oral mucositis in patients with colorectal cancer: a prospective pilot study.

Abstract

PurposeThe prospective pilot study was designed to evaluate the preventive effects of amino-acid-rich elemental diet (ED), Elental®, on chemotherapy-induced oral mucositis in patients with colorectal cancer. The factors influencing its efficacy are also investigated.MethodsA total of 22 eligible patients with colorectal cancer experiencing grade 1–3 oral mucositis during treatment with fluorouracil-based chemotherapy entered the current study. Their average age was 67 years. There were 10 male and 12 female. The PS was 0 in the majority of patients. Patients received two courses of the same chemotherapy regimen and Elental® concurrently after recovery to grade 0 or 1 oral mucositis.ResultsFOLFOX6 + bevacizumab in 8 patients, FOLFIRI + bevacizumab in 8 patients, FOLFIRI + panitumumab in 1 patient, FOLFIRI in 1 patient, XELOX + bevacizumab in 2 patients, and S-1 + cetuximab in 2 patients were used as first-line (16 cases) or as second-line (6 cases) chemotherapy. Dose reduction of 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) or oral fluoropyrimidine was performed in the 2 patients achieving grade 3 oral mucositis and in the 3 patients achieving grade 2 oral mucositis. The maximum grade of oral mucositis decreased in 18 of the 22 patients during the first treatment course with Elental® (p = 0.0002) and in 20 of the 22 patients in the second course (p < 0.0001). Multivariate analyses found that the dose reduction in 5-FU or oral fluoropyrimidine, ED intake, and the prior administration of ED were each a significant factor for the preventive efficacy on oral mucositis.ConclusionThe amino-acid-rich elemental diet Elental® may be useful as a countermeasure for 5-FU-based chemotherapy-induced oral mucositis in patients with colorectal cancer.