What do systematic reviews say?

Probiotics vs placebo

Probiotics showed no clear difference in diarrhoea grade 4 compared with placebo (low certainty).

• Probiotics for the prevention or treatment of chemotherapy‐ or radiotherapy‐related diarrhoea in people with cancer 2018 · Cochrane Headline outcomes only
  RR 0.33 [0.01, 7.78]
  1 study · 46 participants
  Low

Probiotics vs placebo

• Probiotics for the prevention or treatment of chemotherapy‐ or radiotherapy‐related diarrhoea in people with cancer 2018 · Cochrane Headline outcomes only
  no estimate extracted
  1 study · 226 participants
  Very low

Probiotics vs placebo or control

Summary of findings: Probiotics may leads to lower diarrhoea (grade 2+) compared with control (placebo or no intervention) (low certainty).

• Interventions to reduce acute and late adverse gastrointestinal effects of pelvic radiotherapy for primary pelvic… 2018 · Cochrane Headline outcomes only
  RR 0.43 [0.22, 0.82]
  5 studies · 923 participants
  Low

Summary of findings: Proteolytic enzymes vs placebo or control

It is very uncertain whether summary of findings: Proteolytic enzymes changes diarrhoea (grade 2+) compared with control (placebo or no intervention) (very low certainty).

• Interventions to reduce acute and late adverse gastrointestinal effects of pelvic radiotherapy for primary pelvic… 2018 · Cochrane Headline outcomes only
  RR 1.6 [0.89, 2.89]
  1 study · 56 participants
  Very low

Glutamine vs placebo

Summary of findings: Glutamine showed no clear difference in diarrhoea (grade 2+) compared with placebo (high certainty).

• Interventions to reduce acute and late adverse gastrointestinal effects of pelvic radiotherapy for primary pelvic… 2018 · Cochrane Headline outcomes only
  RR 0.98 [0.78, 1.24]
  4 studies · 289 participants
  High

Summary of findings: BT vs external beam radiotherapy (EBRT)

• Interventions to reduce acute and late adverse gastrointestinal effects of pelvic radiotherapy for primary pelvic… 2018 · Cochrane Headline outcomes only
  no estimate extracted
  0 participants
  GRADE not reported

Counselling vs no intervention

Summary of findings: Counselling may leads to lower diarrhoea (grade 2+) compared with no intervention (low certainty).

• Interventions to reduce acute and late adverse gastrointestinal effects of pelvic radiotherapy for primary pelvic… 2018 · Cochrane Headline outcomes only
  RR 0.12 [0.03, 0.47]
  1 study · 74 participants
  Low

Summary of findings: Reduced dose volume vs standard dose volume

The review found no eligible studies for this question.

• Interventions to reduce acute and late adverse gastrointestinal effects of pelvic radiotherapy for primary pelvic… 2018 · Cochrane Headline outcomes only
  no estimate extracted
  Studies not reported
  No studies found

Summary of findings: Higher bladder volume vs lower bladder volume

The review found no eligible studies for this question.

• Interventions to reduce acute and late adverse gastrointestinal effects of pelvic radiotherapy for primary pelvic… 2018 · Cochrane Headline outcomes only
  no estimate extracted
  Studies not reported
  No studies found

Summary of findings: Hydrogel spacer vs no intervention

The review found no eligible studies for this question.

• Interventions to reduce acute and late adverse gastrointestinal effects of pelvic radiotherapy for primary pelvic… 2018 · Cochrane Headline outcomes only
  no estimate extracted
  Studies not reported
  No studies found

Summary of findings: Conformal RT vs conventional dose RT

• Interventions to reduce acute and late adverse gastrointestinal effects of pelvic radiotherapy for primary pelvic… 2018 · Cochrane Headline outcomes only
  no estimate extracted
  0 participants
  GRADE not reported

Summary of findings: Endorectal balloon vs no intervention

It is very uncertain whether summary of findings: Endorectal balloon changes diarrhoea (grade 2+) compared with no intervention (very low certainty).

• Interventions to reduce acute and late adverse gastrointestinal effects of pelvic radiotherapy for primary pelvic… 2018 · Cochrane Headline outcomes only
  RR 0.71 [0.37, 1.35]
  1 study · 43 participants
  Very low

Summary of findings: Aminosalicylates vs placebo

The review found no eligible studies for this question.

• Interventions to reduce acute and late adverse gastrointestinal effects of pelvic radiotherapy for primary pelvic… 2018 · Cochrane Headline outcomes only
  no estimate extracted
  Studies not reported
  No studies found

Superoxide dismutase (SOD) vs no intervention

The review found no eligible studies for this question.

• Interventions to reduce acute and late adverse gastrointestinal effects of pelvic radiotherapy for primary pelvic… 2018 · Cochrane Headline outcomes only
  no estimate extracted
  Studies not reported
  No studies found

Corticosteroids vs placebo

The review found no eligible studies for this question.

• Interventions to reduce acute and late adverse gastrointestinal effects of pelvic radiotherapy for primary pelvic… 2018 · Cochrane Headline outcomes only
  no estimate extracted
  Studies not reported
  No studies found

Summary of findings: Sodium butyrate vs placebo

The review found no eligible studies for this question.

• Interventions to reduce acute and late adverse gastrointestinal effects of pelvic radiotherapy for primary pelvic… 2018 · Cochrane Headline outcomes only
  no estimate extracted
  Studies not reported
  No studies found

Selenium vs no intervention

Summary of findings: Selenium may leads to lower diarrhoea (grade 2+) compared with no intervention (low certainty).

• Interventions to reduce acute and late adverse gastrointestinal effects of pelvic radiotherapy for primary pelvic… 2018 · Cochrane Headline outcomes only
  RR 0.4
  1 study · 81 participants
  Low

Summary of findings: Bile acid sequestrants vs no intervention

It is very uncertain whether summary of findings: Bile acid sequestrants changes diarrhoea (grade 2+) compared with no intervention (very low certainty).

• Interventions to reduce acute and late adverse gastrointestinal effects of pelvic radiotherapy for primary pelvic… 2018 · Cochrane Headline outcomes only
  RR 2.82 [0.66, 12.01]
  1 study · 33 participants
  Very low

Misoprostol vs placebo

It is very uncertain whether summary of findings: Misoprostol changes diarrhoea (grade 2+) compared with placebo (very low certainty).

• Interventions to reduce acute and late adverse gastrointestinal effects of pelvic radiotherapy for primary pelvic… 2018 · Cochrane Headline outcomes only
  RR 1 [0.46, 2.19]
  1 study · 100 participants
  Very low

Summary of findings: IMRT vs 3DCRT

Summary of findings: IMRT may leads to lower diarrhoea (grade 2+) compared with 3DCRT (low certainty).

• Interventions to reduce acute and late adverse gastrointestinal effects of pelvic radiotherapy for primary pelvic… 2018 · Cochrane Headline outcomes only
  RR 0.38 [0.22, 0.68]
  1 study · 72 participants
  Low