Prevention of irinotecan associated diarrhea by intestinal alkalization. A pilot study in gastrointestinal cancer patients.

Aim And Background: Intestinal alkalization could prevent irinotecan associated diarrhea modulating some chemical equilibria between irinotecan metabolites. The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of this procedure in advanced gastrointestinal cancer patients (GICP).

Materials And Method: In this prospective study advanced GICP, receiving irinotecan based chemotherapy regimens, were well trained to add sodium bicarbonate to the water intake in order to accomplish intestinal alkalization.