title: Efficacy of Bifidobacterium tetragenous viable bacteria tablets for cancer patients with functional constipation.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the efficacy and side effects of Bifidobacterium tetragenous viable bacteria tablets in treating cancer patients with functional constipation during chemotherapy.
  
  
  METHODS
  A consecutive cohort of 100 cancer patients with functional constipation were divided into two equal groups: patients in the experimental group were given Bifidobacterium tetragenous viable bacteria tablets combined with chemotherapy, while patients in the control group received chemotherapy alone. After 4 weeks, the efficacy and side effects in treating functional constipation were evaluated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Constipation in 48 patients in experimental group was controlled (9 returned to normal), with a total response rate of 96%, and 1 patient reported diarrhea (2%). In contrast only 16 patients in the control group demonstrated improvement and 34 were still constipated after chemotherapy, with a response rate of 32%. The difference in response rate was statistically significant (P <0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study suggested that Bifidobacterium tetragenous viable bacteria tablets are effective and safe in treating cancer patients with functional constipation during chemotherapy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemotherapy, the Affiliated Jiangsu Cancer Hospital of Nanjing Medical University and Jiangsu Institute of Cancer Research, Nanjing, China E-mail : huangxinen06@aliyun.com.
authors.forename: Jin
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Xin-En
authors.initials: XE
authors.lastname: Huang
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001644:Bifidobacterium; D015179:Colorectal Neoplasms / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy*; D003248:Constipation / Q000150:complications / Q000628:therapy*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D019936:Probiotics / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D013274:Stomach Neoplasms / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy*; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents