Big effect
Probiotics halved the risk of chemotherapy-induced diarrhea in colorectal cancer patients — but the benefit didn't extend to inflammatory biomarkers.
This is the strongest evidence yet for this specific probiotic strain in a clinical setting, but because it's among the first meta-analyses on the pairing, the results need replication before they can be generalized to all cancer patients or other probiotic formulations.
A meta-analysis of 18 randomized trials involving 1,526 colorectal cancer patients found that taking probiotics (including Bifidobacterium infantis HA-116) cut the risk of chemotherapy-induced diarrhea by about half and shortened its duration. However, the same analysis found no clear effect on inflammatory markers in the blood, suggesting the benefit is real but narrower than it might first appear.
Where this fits in the evidence
This is among the first studies we've indexed on Bifidobacterium infantis HA-116 for Reduced Chemotherapy-Induced Diarrhea — treat it as an early signal until more research accumulates.
The study
- Meta-Analysis
- n = 1,526
- 2025-07-04
- Medicine
This is a plain-language summary of a research finding, not medical advice. Pillser surfaces research signals to help you decide what's worth investigating — always consult a qualified professional before changing what you take.