Narrative Review of Probiotic Use on the Recovery of Postoperative Patients with Esophageal Cancer.

Purpose of review: This narrative review discusses the significance of probiotic therapy in the postoperative care of patients with esophageal cancer and its role as an adjunct therapy to other treatment modalities for esophageal cancer.

Recent findings: As such, there is an emerging need to address any malnutrition and gastrointestinal problems occurring in these patients which tend to have a strong negative impact on their prognosis. Probiotic effects on esophageal cancer biomarkers suggest that there is a positive correlation between these two factors. However, the beneficial effects remain controversial and warrant further investigation. Probiotics, now being widely utilized as postoperative therapy in some carcinomas of the gastrointestinal tract such as gastric cancer and colorectal cancer, have been shown in some clinical studies to positively impact the nutritional status of patients with esophageal cancer. Postoperative care among patients suffering from esophageal cancer is a very crucial aspect in the survival of these patients.