Nutrition
-
Colorectal cancer (CRC) remains one of the most frequently occurring cancers worldwide. Current standard therapeutic drugs have been associated with serious side effects that can be life-threatening for some patients. Extensive efforts have been undertaken to find alternative therapies. ⋯ Recent studies have shown that consumption of lactobacillus strains, alone or in combination with standard chemotherapy drugs for CRC have exerted beneficial effects on tumor development and growth via several mechanisms, including induction of apoptosis, immunomodulation of inflammatory cytokines, and changing profile of gut microbial community. They affect the signaling pathways involved in cell migration and invasion leading to hampering of tumor metastatic behavior. This review summarizes recent experimental findings regarding antitumor function of the most used lactobacillus species in CRC, providing more supporting data for introducing probiotics as new encouraging therapeutic strategy in cancer prevention and treatment.
-
Randomized Controlled Trial
Personalized nutrition intervention improves nutritional status and quality of life of colorectal cancer survivors in the community: A randomized controlled trial.
This study aimed to evaluate the effects of personalized nutrition intervention combined with telephone-based education on the nutritional status of colorectal cancer survivors and their quality of life. ⋯ Personalized nutrition interventions, combined with telephone-based education, provided by community health service centers can improve colorectal cancer survivors' nutritional status and quality of life. Personalized nutrition intervention for cancer survivors warrants further investigation in confirmatory studies.
-
The aim of this study was to evaluate the association of differential body water composition with survival in patients with lung cancer. ⋯ Greater ICW and ECW, especially ICW, were independent predictors for better survival in patients with lung cancer. Female patients were more vulnerable to dehydration than male patients.
-
The potential clinical effects of licorice (Glycyrrhiza spp.) and its extracts have been investigated since ancient times. Whether pseudohyperaldosteronism, with consequent arterial hypertension, is the only endocrine effect produced by licorice is uncertain, and a role in the reproductive system has been proposed. This review aimed to summarize the current knowledge on the pharmacologic effects of licorice on male and female reproductive systems. ⋯ Licorice consumption can affect the reproductive system. However, its role needs to be further explored, especially due to the great variability of bioactive compounds used in existing studies.
-
The roles of gut microorganisms in cancer are diverse. Studies on metagenomics and bioinformatics have documented diverse microbial etiology in different tumors. Evidence supports that a commensal microbiome could provide a promising strategy to treat and prevent cancer through interference in several biologic processes, such as host cell survival and death, host immune function, inflammation, oncogenic signaling, and several hormone receptor signaling and detoxification pathways. ⋯ Thus, an interplay of gut microorganisms with their fatty acid metabolites and the endocannabinoid system play an important role in the development, progression, immunomodulation, and chemoresistance of cancer. In this review, we highlight aspects of the current knowledge of and interactions between the microbiome with fatty acids and the host endocannabinoid system. We also document their effect on host immunomodulation and chemoresistance, and discuss how these insights might translate into future development of microbiome-targeted therapeutic interventions.