The Use of Dietary Supplements for the Management of Adverse Effects of Treatment in Children and Adolescents with Leukemia: A Scoping Review.

Abstract

Acute lymphoblastic leukemia is the most prevalent form of leukemia in children and adolescents. Despite high survival rates due to advanced treatments, these therapies often result in significant treatment-related adverse effects. This scoping review explores dietary supplementation strategies for managing these adverse effects in pediatric leukemia patients. Twelve studies were included, involving participants aged between 0.8 and 21 years, all undergoing chemotherapy at various treatment phases. Chemotherapy-related adverse effects identified in this review included gastrointestinal symptoms, cardiometabolic risk factors, hepatotoxicity, osteopathies, neuro-psychiatric effects, hematological disorders, and changes in body composition. The dietary supplements evaluated for managing these effects were probiotics, ginger, glutamine, omega-3, vitamin D, calcium, potassium, honey, chamomile, and medium-chain triglyceride. Most of these supplements showed promising outcomes in reducing or preventing adverse effects. However, there is a demand for more rigorous clinical trials with larger sample sizes and standardized protocols to validate the efficacy of these interventions. Further research to identify optimal dosages, better understand long-term effects, and develop evidence-based guidelines for the use of dietary supplements in managing treatment-related adverse effects in children and adolescents with leukemia is needed.