Nutritional traditional and complementary medicine strategies in pediatric cancer: A narrative review

Diorio, Caroline; Kelly, Kara M.; Afungchwi, Glenn Mbah; Ladas, Elena J.; Marjerrison, Stacey

doi:10.1002/pbc.28324

Cited by 13 publications

(9 citation statements)

References 110 publications

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“…However, there are no high-quality studies demonstrating their effectiveness in achieving pediatric cancer cures [ 40 ]. One of the most common strategies is the intake of plant-derived bioactive compounds: if on one side there is no evidence of efficacy of these products, on the other hand, they can potentially interfere with the metabolism of drugs, so their use without medical evaluation should be discouraged [ 41 , 42 ]. The use of special diets, such as the ketogenic diet or calorie restriction, is also to be avoided, since they lack proven efficacy and represent a potential harmful strategy that may negatively interfere on both the efficacy of active treatments, especially in patients at risk of malnutrition or sarcopenia, and the long-term outcome of cancer survivors [ 42 , 43 ].…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Management of Nutritional Needs in Pediatric Oncology: A Consensus Statement

Fabozzi

Trovato

Diamanti

et al. 2022

Cancers

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Malnutrition, intended as both overnutrition and undernutrition, is a common problem in children with cancer, impacting quality of life as well as survival. In addition, nutritional imbalances during childhood can significantly affect proper growth. Nevertheless, there is currently a lack of a systematic approach to this issue in the pediatric oncology population. To fill this gap, we aimed to provide practice recommendations for the uniform management of nutritional needs in children with cancer. Twenty-one clinical questions addressing evaluation and treatment of nutritional problems in children with cancer were formulated by selected members from four Italian Association of Pediatric Hematology and Oncology (AIEOP) centers and from the Survivorship Care and Nutritional Support Working Group of Alliance Against Cancer. A literature search in PubMed was performed; during two consensus meetings, all recommendations were discussed and finalized using the nominal group technique. Members representing every institution voted on each recommendation. Finally, recommendations were approved by all authors.

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Management of Nutritional Needs in Pediatric Oncology: A Consensus Statement

Fabozzi

Trovato

Diamanti

et al. 2022

Cancers

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“…The use of different vitamins such as vitamin D deficiency has shown an association with oral mucositis in pediatric patients but the effects of vitamins to treat adverse events of cancer in children are still inconclusive. 44 , 88 , 89 More research with a rigorous design (RCTs), is needed to confirm these results before recommendations for clinical practice.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Safety of Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) treatment among children and young adults who suffer from adverse effects of conventional cancer treatment: A systematic review

et al. 2022

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Background: Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) is widely used around the world to treat adverse effects derived from cancer treatment among children and young adults. Parents often seek CAM to restore and maintain the child’s physical and emotional condition during and after cancer treatment. Objectives: The objectives of this review were (i) to identify literature that investigates CAM use for treating adverse effects of conventional cancer treatment, (ii) to investigate the safety of the included CAM modalities, and (iii) to evaluate the quality of included studies. Methods: Five scientific research databases were used to identify observational, quasi-experimental, and qualitative studies from January 1990 to May 2021. Included studies investigated the use of CAM to treat adverse effects of cancer treatment in childhood cancer. Results: Fifteen studies were included in this review. Ten quasi-experimental, 3 observational studies (longitudinal/prospective), 2 qualitative studies, and 1 study with a quasi-experimental and qualitative arm were identified. Less than half (n = 6; 40%) of the studies included reported adverse effects for the CAM modality being studied. Among the studies that reported adverse effects, they were mostly considered as direct risk, as 13% reported mainly bleeding and bruising upon acupuncture treatment, and dizziness with yoga treatment. All adverse effects were assessed as minor and transient. CAM modalities identified for treating adverse effects of cancer treatment were alternative medical systems, manipulative and body-based therapies, biologically-based therapies, and mind-body therapies. CAM modalities were used to alleviate anxiety, pain, toxicity, prevent trauma, and improve health-related quality of life, functional mobility, and physical activity levels. All studies assessed scored 70% or above according to the Joanna Briggs Institute critical appraisal for study quality checklists. Conclusion: Most of the studies (58.3%) included in this review did not report adverse effects from CAM modalities used to treat adverse effects of cancer treatment in children and young adults. This lack of safety information is of concern because parents need to know whether the modality represents an extra burden or harm to the child. To improve awareness about safety in the field, a universal and uniform reporting system for adverse effects in CAM research is needed.

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“…In a large number of countries, control of such nutritional supplements by agencies like the European Medical Agency (EMA) or The Agency for Medicinal Products and Medical Devices (HALMED) in Croatia has thus been avoided. This increases the risk of using substances that may, for instance, be contaminated with heavy metals or microorganisms, which increases their toxicity and possible interactions with conventional drugs used in the treatment of pediatric oncology patients [1,[22][23].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The use of CAM, defined by the National Cancer Institute (NCI) as practices and medical products that are not included in standard medical care, has become a customary practice among pediatric cancer patients worldwide [1]. More than a decade ago almost half of the pediatric cancer patients received CAM, with global prevalence ranging from 20% to 60% [2][3].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Complementary Medicine Practice and Use of Dietary Supplements in Pediatric Cancer Patients in Croatia

Kranjčec¹,

Abdović²,

Buljan³

et al. 2022

Cureus

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Introduction: The use of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) has become a customary practice among pediatric cancer patients worldwide. The frequency of its use by pediatric cancer patients in Croatia has not been previously determined.Methodology: In order to establish the frequency and detect factors affecting the use of CAM, a singlecenter, observational, cross-sectional study was conducted at the Children's Hospital Zagreb during a twoyear period. The patients' parents and caregivers were offered an anonymous, multi-item questionnaire that collected socio-economic and clinical data, as well as details on CAM and dietary supplement practice.Results: Almost half of the participants reported CAM and more than two-thirds reported dietary supplement consumption, predominantly in the intensive phase of the treatment. Factors regarding children or parents had no effect on CAM and supplement utilization. Herbal medicine, vitamins, and minerals were among the most commonly used items. Every 10th child experienced at least one adverse event during CAM and supplement use.Conclusion: Awareness of the CAM and dietary supplement application in pediatric oncology patients needs to be raised due to the potential interactions with conventional treatment modalities. For this reason, it is extremely important to inform parents and caregivers of pediatric oncology patients about the use of CAM and dietary supplements to predict and mitigate the occurrence and intensity of the side effects. In the majority of our cases, the patient's guardians informed the healthcare professionals about the CAM and supplement implementation in their children, therefore, they were offered additional information about the possible negative impact of CAM and supplement use on standard medical care in a timely manner.

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Nutritional traditional and complementary medicine strategies in pediatric cancer: A narrative review

Cited by 13 publications

References 110 publications

Management of Nutritional Needs in Pediatric Oncology: A Consensus Statement

Management of Nutritional Needs in Pediatric Oncology: A Consensus Statement

Safety of Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) treatment among children and young adults who suffer from adverse effects of conventional cancer treatment: A systematic review

Complementary Medicine Practice and Use of Dietary Supplements in Pediatric Cancer Patients in Croatia

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