Effects of inositol hexaphosphate and myo-inositol administration in breast cancer patients during adjuvant chemotherapy

Background: Treatment of breast cancer (BC) includes locoregional and systemic therapies depending on tumor and patient’s characteristics. Inositol hexaphosphate (IP6) is known as a strong antioxidant agent, able to improve local (i.e., breast region) side effects, functional status and quality-of-life. We investigated some potential beneficial effects, including hematological and local, of the combined therapy with oral myo-inositol administration and topical IP6 application in patients undergoing surgery for BC and eligible to adjuvant chemotherapy. Methods: We considered BC patients randomly assigned to the Inositol Group (oral myo-inositol + IP6 local application for the entire neoadjuvant treatment period) and to the Control Group (standard of care). The EORTC QLQ-BR23 and QLQ-C30 questionnaires were administered to both groups and blood parameters were assessed as per clinical routine practice at baseline (before starting adjuvant chemotherapy), T1 (after the first two doses of epirubicin-cyclophosphamide regimen), T2 (at the end of epirubicin-cyclophosphamide regimen), T3 (after the first six doses of paclitaxel regimen), and T4 (at the end of the paclitaxel treatment). Results: A total of 36 BC patients were considered, 18 in the Inositol Group and 18 in the Control Group. The Inositol Group showed a lower decrease in red blood cells, hemoglobin levels and white blood cells with respect to controls (p ≤ 0.02), as well as amelioration in scores related to breast and arm local symptoms (p ≤ 0.02), body image (p = 0.04) and quality-of-life related symptoms (p ≤ 0.04). Conclusions: In our cohort of BC patients, a combined treatment with oral myo-inositol + IP6 local application was able to improve local symptoms and quality-of-life related symptoms which represent clinically relevant aspects associated with patient’s prognosis.