Abstract
Purpose
The study aims at exploring the impact of dietary intake on the relief of bowel dysfunction among patients with rectal cancer after the sphincter-saving surgery.
Methods
A prospective cohort design was used. A total of 299 patients were followed up at a tertiary hospital in East China between April 2020 and July 2021. Postoperative food intake was assessed with a food frequency questionnaire, and bowel dysfunction was assessed with Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center’s bowel function scale. The generalized estimating equation and the generalized additive mixed model were used to analyze the collected data.
Results
The average daily intake of livestock and poultry meats and dairy products during the first 6 months after sphincter-saving surgery was significantly associated with the relief of bowel dysfunction. Bowel dysfunction was relieved most quickly among patients who consumed 40.81 to 59.1 g/d of livestock and poultry meat during the first 3 months after surgery. Bowel dysfunction improved more slowly during the first 6 months after surgery among patients who consumed greater than 107.11 g/d dairy products than among patients who consumed 0 g/d dairy products.
Conclusion
The impact of dietary factors on bowel dysfunction observed in this study added to the limited evidence about the specific effects of consuming foods and nutrients on defecation dysfunction, and these results provided a theoretical basis for the use of dietary modification programs aimed at relieving bowel dysfunction as soon as possible.
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Data Availability
The datasets generated and analyzed during the current study are not publicly available due to the protection of patients’ privacy but are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.
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Acknowledgements
The statistical methods were conducted under the help of two statisticians. One was Dr. Gao Jian from Zhongshan Hospital and another on was Dr. Luo Jian Feng from Fudan University.
Funding
Shanghai University of Medicine & Health Sciences,22HGXKTD006,FuXin Nursing Foundation of University,FNF201921.
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LW was mainly in charge of the conceptualization, data curation, and writing—original draft preparation parts. XHO was responsible for the conceptualization and methodology and writing—original draft preparation parts.
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The study protocol was established according to the ethical guidelines of the Helsinki Declaration. Ethical approval for the study was granted by the Institutional Review Boards of Nursing School of University (approval no. #TYSQ2019-6–01), and all patients had provided informed consent in this study.
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Liu, W., Xia, H.O. The Impact of Dietary Factors on the Relief of Bowel Dysfunction Among Patients with Rectal Cancer After the Sphincter-Saving Surgery—A Prospective Cohort Study. J Gastrointest Canc (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12029-023-00997-2
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12029-023-00997-2