According to the study linked below, nutritional supplements help myeloma patients undergoing autologous stem cell transplants. To my way of thinking, if a myeloma patient is helped during their ASCT, they can be helped with any/all therapies.
Further, I underwent an ASCT in December of 1995. I gained approximately 50 lbs. during the six months preceding my ASCT and then lost it all in the months following my ASCT.
An ASCT is aggressive treatment. No question about it. An autologous stem cell transplant is a component of the FDA approved standard-of-care therapy plan for ALL newly diagnosed MM patients. To a large degree, simply living through one is an accomplishment.
The entire subject of nutritional supplementation can be overwhelming for the newly diagnosed MM patient. Supplements for:
can be confusing and complicated for someone who knows little about the subject to begin with.
My advice is to simplify the main message in the study below A general multi-vitamin, whether capsule, liquid, etc. is the take-away from the information below. I cannot help but to also promote nutrition and gentle lifestyle therapies while we are on the subject.
Are you a NDMM patient? What symptoms? How old are you? What are your goals? If you would like to learn more about evidence-based non-conventional MM therapies email me at David.PeopleBeatingCancer@gmail.com
“Several side effects within the patients undergoing hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT), especially ones that influence nutrition intake, can cause weight loss and malnutrition. Based on studies, oral nutritional supplement (ONS) may reinforce their nutrient intake and progress clinical outcomes. The objective of this research is to investigate the effect of oral nutrition supplements on the nutritional and clinical status of patients undergoing autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation…
The primary study outcomes would be weight and BMI. The study’s secondary outcome variables would be
In patients with hematologic malignancies, the conditioning regimen prior to HSCT, as well as the use of steroids and immune-suppressors, can cause a variety of side effects, including
- anorexia,
- mucositis,
- limited gut absorption,
- nausea,
- vomiting,
- dysgeusia, and
- diarrhea.
These side effects can all affect dietary intake and result in weight loss [7,8,9]. Prior to the HSCT, patients’ nutritional statuses might vary. While many patients have normal nutritional status at diagnosis, there is a chance that significant weight loss will occur throughout therapy [13].
Studies have highlighted that weight loss within the first 100 days post-HSCT influences short-term clinical outcomes and one-year overall survival [37]. Additionally, a tailored nutritional pathway with a specific basal energy expenditure rate has been validated to prevent weight loss in HSCT patients undergoing myeloablative conditioning, with skeletal muscle mass identified as an independent risk factor for reduced 2-year survival [38].
In addition, malnutrition was linked to a slower recovery, greater rates of readmission, and increased death following HSCT [7].
One effective way to support nutrition is through ONS, which can increase the amount of macro and micronutrients in food [20, 21]; Additionally, ONS is a crucial therapeutic approach that encourages consuming a lot of protein and calories [39]. According to a study, ONS lessened nausea and vomiting, which are frequently brought on by chemotherapy and can significantly affect one’s appetite and quality of life [40].
Studies have found that ONS can help esophageal cancer patients undergoing radiotherapy by reducing weight loss and improving nutritional status [17]; improve patients’ QOL and reduce weight loss in patients with NSCLC cancer during chemotherapy, the effects of supplementation treatment were also investigated from a metabolic perspective in this study, that it was possible to find that plasma polyamines, one of the well-known markers of tumor growth, was reduced after the treatment [22].
As hematological patients also have less energy intake than they need because of side effects of their chemo(radio)therapy, weight loss is occurred in their hospitalization time; therefore, nutrition support may be beneficial for them to increase their energy intake [19].
The use of ONS in patients undergoing HSCT has not been studied before; however, because GI side effects from chemotherapy and other post-transplant complications may compromise the effectiveness of ONS in these patients, the current study is being conducted to assess how ONS affects the nutritional and clinical status of patients undergoing autologous HSCT.
If the nutritional and clinical status of patients receiving autologous hematopoietic stem cell treatment is significantly affected by ONS consumption, then this strategy of increasing total caloric intake and subsequently increasing patients’ weight can be suggested in order to improve their condition.