Impact of Probiotic on Quality of Life and Cell Integrity for Patient with Head and Neck Cancer (Single Institution Study)

Abstract

Background: All over the world, increasing interest was directed to head and neck cancer as one of the most prevalent diseases. Nutrition plays a pivotal role in the management and control of head and neck cancer. Aim of study: The effect of taking probiotics on quality of life of head and neck cancer patients. Patients and Methods: Sixty-four patients (males and females) between (18-60) years
participated, in the study. This experimental controlled study carried out upon patients diagnosed as having head and neck cancer by history, clinical examination and investigations. The patients were randomly divided into two groups: Group (A) which takes probiotics with a diet that is compatible with each case, and Group (B) which is exposed to radiotherapy or chemotherapy and receive the healthy dietary management, but without probiotic. The patients interviewed by the researcher individually and each interview took about 45-60 minutes for Socioeconomic status and weight, body mass index, extent of cell improvement, muscle strength, fat percentage were measured and quality of life (QOL) in feeling pain in groups before and after the nutritional intervention. Results: Results
shows that the sociodemographic characteristics of studied between the group with probiotic and the group without probiotic, it is clear that there were significant differences between the patients in terms of occupation, (p = 0.011). There were (37.5%) & (46.9%) of the patients do not work from probiotic group and without probiotic group respectively. For group without probiotic the change in the weight was (74.4 ± 13.40) before & (68.5 ± 13.41) after with highly significant decrees at (p =<0.001); However, for group with probiotic was (70.9 ± 20.37) before & (69.6 ± 18.75) after with no significant difference. Biochemical analysis (Hb, RBCs & HCT) between the groups after intervention showed that there were statistically significant differences between patients with probiotics and patients without probiotics where (p=0.014, 0.023& 0.001) respectively. Also, there were significant differences in hemoglobin (Hb)& (RBCs) between patients with probiotic before and after nutrition intervention while Mean ± SD was (10.9 ± 1.25 & 4.3± 0.40) (11.2 ± 1.06 & 4.6 ± 0.47) before and after nutrition intervention respectively. The cell integrity showed statistically significant differences between groups, regarding to fat mass; ECW and phase angle while (p value 0.004 ;0.054 &0.021) respectively. There were highly significant differences in probiotic groups regarding to phase angle before and after intervention, while (p<0.001). Also, there were statistically
significant differences for quality of life regarding to problems in active, long walking, little walking, stay in bed and stay in chair; as for the group with probiotics , it was found that (37.5%, 43.8%, 40.6%, 56.3%, and 62.5%) respectively do not feel these problems not at all, but in the group without probiotics, these percentages are greatly reduced compared to the probiotic group, it was found that
(21.9%, 18.8%, 15.6%, 46.9%, and 25%) respectively do not feel these problems not at all.