Neutropenic versus regular diet for acute leukaemia induction chemotherapy: randomised controlled trial.

Objectives: Restriction of raw fruits and vegetables (neutropenic diet) is advised for patients receiving treatment for acute leukaemia in low-income and middle-income countries (LMICs) to reduce infections despite evidence to the contrary from high-income countries. We, therefore, conducted a randomised controlled trial to ascertain the efficacy of the neutropenic diet in an LMIC setting.

Methods: Patients aged 1-60 years receiving induction chemotherapy for acute leukaemia were randomised to a regular or neutropenic diet.