Glutamine, an amino acid, is beneficial when given with a combination of chemotherapy and irradiation. For example, glutamine reduced the risk of radiation inflammation of the esophagus (esophagitis), commonly resulting from chemotherapy and irradiation.

The authors reviewed their records of experience using glutamine therapy for patients who received chemotherapy and irradiation at the same time. The patients had non-small cell cancers of the lung and were given quite large doses of 10 grams glutamine every 8 hours. One group of patients served as controls and received no glutamine treatment.

The result was that the patients who took glutamine supplementation during chemotherapy and irradiation had less weight loss, less rapid progression of their disease, and took fewer breaks from their therapy.

CONCLUSION: In this situation, glutamine had no negative effects, but did have some positive benefits on the treatment of cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy and irradiation.

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Summary #915. nutrientmedicine

PMID: 23113946.