Madu tualang' honey as prophylaxis against febrile neutropenia in patients with haematological malignancy

Patient receiving myeloablative chemotherapy are at risk of developing febrile neutropenia (FN) which is an oncology emergency. Most FN are microbilogically negative but infection are mainly opportunistic infection arising from the gastrointestinal tract. Chemotherapy leads to mucosal injury besides the marked drop in peripheral white cell count. Ciprofloxacin has been used as a selective gut decontamination to reduce the amount of gut flora. Honey has been shown to have both antimicrobial activiti as well as mucosal protectation. Uncontrolled study also showed that honey shortened period of neutropenia. We do not know if this is due to true accelerated marrow rejuvenation or that the level of chemotheray was depressed following drug-honey interaction. 'Madu tualang' is a local honey product which is being studied if the above research question can be answered in controlled clinical trial.