A Randomized, Double-Blinded, Placebo-Controlled Study on the Protective Effects of Curcumin against Chemoradiotherapy-Induced Enteritis

Najafizade, Nadia; Ebrahimi, Ali; Hemati, Simin

doi:10.30476/mejc.2023.96676.1831

A Randomized, Double-Blinded, Placebo-Controlled Study on the Protective Effects of Curcumin against Chemoradiotherapy-Induced Enteritis

Document Type : Original Article(s)

Authors

Nadia Najafizade

Ali Ebrahimi

Simin Hemati

Department of Radiation Oncology, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran

https://doi.org/10.30476/mejc.2023.96676.1831

Abstract

Background: Colorectal cancer ranks as the third most prevalent cancer type globally. In addition to surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation therapy, being the foremost efficacious and all-encompassing treatment modalities for cancer, pelvic chemoradiotherapy is known to precipitate adverse effects, notably intestinal inflammation. This study delves into assessing the impact of curcumin on the prophylaxis and amelioration of chemoradiotherapy-induced enterocolitis in colorectal cancer patients.
Method: This randomized study encompassed 44 colorectal cancer patients undergoing standard pelvic chemoradiotherapy, allocated to either curcumin treatment (22 patients) or placebo (22 patients) groups. Patients were administered oral curcumin capsules at a daily dosage of 500 mg commencing one week before baseline and extending throughout the standard treatment regimen, adhering to the same schedule. Subsequently, patients were subjected to biweekly evaluations encompassing demographics, clinical characteristics, and manifestations of enterocolitis, with statistical analysis employing Mann-Whitney and chi-square tests. A significance threshold of P < 0.05 was employed in the study for statistical significance.
Results: The incidence of complications exhibited no statistically significant disparity between the two cohorts across diverse disease stages. Furthermore, there were no discernible discrepancies in the manifestation of varying grades of intestinal complications between the curcumin-treated and placebo groups. Predominantly, both groups experienced the most pronounced side-effects during the initial two weeks of treatment. Additionally, there was no statistically significant distinction in the prevalence of adverse drug reactions between the two groups, with figures standing at 31% versus 40% (P = 0.17).
Conclusion: Even though 500 mg/day of curcumin over a six-week duration did not engender a statistically significant reduction in the adverse effects of chemoradiotherapy, it was well-tolerated and deemed safe in this patient cohort.

Highlights

Nadia Najafizade (Google Scholar)

Simin Hemati (Google Scholar)

Keywords

Rectal neoplasms

Curcumin

Enteritis

Radiation therapy

Subjects

Cancer Treatment

How to cite this article:

Najafizade N, Ebrahimi A, Hemati S. A randomized, double-blinded, placebocontrolled study on the protective effects of curcumin against chemoradiotherapyinduced enteritis. Middle East J Cancer. 2024;15(3):199-206. doi:10.30476/mejc.2023.96676.1831.

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