Probiotics may have the potential to protect against breast cancer, partly through systemic immunomodulatory action and active impact upon intestinal microbiota. Given a few clinical studies on their curative role, we conducted a systematic review of the potential effects of probiotics in breast cancer patients and survivors of breast cancer, aiming to support further clinical studies. A literature search was performed using PubMed, Embase, and the CENTRAL databases from inception through to March 2022. A total of eight randomized clinical trials were identified from thirteen articles published between 2004 and 2022. We evaluated quality-of-life measures, observed bacterial species and diversity indices, probiotic-related metabolites, inflammatory biomarkers, and other responses in breast cancer patients and survivors. Results were synthesized qualitatively and quantitatively using random-effects meta-analysis. Different probiotics supplements utilized included Lactobacillus species alone (Lacto), with or without estriol; probiotic combinations of Lactobacillus with Bifidobacterium (ProLB), with or without prebiotic fructooligosaccharides (FOS); ProLB plus Streptococcus and FOS (ProLBS + FOS); and ProLB plus Enterococcus (ProLBE). We found that use of ProLBS with FOS in breast cancer patients and use of ProLBE in survivors of breast cancer show potential benefits in countering obesity and dyslipidemia. ProLBS with FOS use decreases pro-inflammatory TNF-α in breast cancer survivors and improves quality of life in those with breast-cancer-associated lymphedema. Supplementing probiotics capsules (10⁹ CFU) with a prebiotic and using an intake duration of 10 weeks could provide a better approach than probiotics alone.

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Colorectal Cancer (CRC) ranks 3rd highest cancer incidence, so it is a serious health problem in Indonesia. A new erythrocyte sedimentation rate method was developed to determine a biomarker for CRC. This study aims to investigate reaction order parameters of erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), and platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR) as markers for colorectal carcinoma after chemotherapy. One ml blood was collected from 49 subjects by venipuncture, which then drawn for Westergren analysis. The ESR was measured every minute for 2 hours. The parameter-1 and parameter-2 reaction order of the two groups of research subjects were determined from ESR linear equation. The respective values of parameter-1, parameter-2, NLR, and PLR from normal group and CRC group were compared by t test. The results showed that the parameters of reaction order, NLR, and PLR have good performance to be used as markers for CRC after chemotherapy.