Abstract
ObjectiveTo systematically evaluate the clinical efficacy of glutamine in treating radiation enteritis in cancer patients treated with radiotherapy.MethodsElectronic databases including Pubmed, Embase, the Cochrane library, and CNKI were systematically searched, until April 2016. Randomized controlled trials (RCT) of glutamine in the treatment of radiation enteritis in cancer patients were searched, and RevMan 5.3 software was used for Meta-analysis.ResultsA total of 13 RCTs were included, involving 979 patients. The results of meta-analysis showed that the total efficacy of glutamine was higher for patients with radiation enteritis compared with that in control group, however, there was no statistically significant difference(OR = 3.07, 95%CI: 0.79-11.96; P > 0.05). The combined ORs for all 5 grades(from grade 0 to grade 4) of radiation enteritis in patients receiving glutamine were 2.06, 1.35, 0.55, 0.62 and 0.59, respectively(P > 0.05 for all). Glutamine also failed to significantly improve the symptoms of radiation enteritis in terms of tenesmus, abdominal cramping and blood in bowel movement(P > 0.05).ConclusionsImplementation of glutamine fails to improve the severity and symptoms in patients with radiation enteritis.
Highlights
Radiotherapy has been used for treating cancer worldwide, it is accompanied with adverse effects on the normal organs or tissues [1]
The results of meta-analysis showed that the total efficacy of glutamine was higher for patients with radiation enteritis compared with that in control group, there was no statistically significant difference(OR = 3.07, 95%CI: 0.79-11.96; P > 0.05)
Gastrointestinal tract is a sensitive organ to radiotherapy, and radiation enteritis is one of the adverse effects caused by radiotherapy [2]
Summary
Radiotherapy has been used for treating cancer worldwide, it is accompanied with adverse effects on the normal organs or tissues [1]. Gastrointestinal tract is a sensitive organ to radiotherapy, and radiation enteritis is one of the adverse effects caused by radiotherapy [2] It refers to the abdominal, intestinal complications after pelvic or peritoneal radiation, and usually divided into acute and chronic enteritis. In contrast to acute radiation enteritis, chronic radiation enteritis are developed from acute radiation enteritis or direct exposure to local tissue ischemia and long lasting interstitial fibrosis, vascular occlusive meningitis which are caused by chronic inflammation. It exhibited in recurrent blood in the stool, abdominal pain, diarrhea, even of intestinal stenosis, ulcers and fistula formation [6, 7]
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