Related Experiment Videos
Acute nutritional and intestinal changes after pelvic radiation.
M Pía de la Maza1, M Gotteland, C Ramírez
1Institute of Nutrition and Food Technology, University of Chile, Santiago. mpmaza@uec.inta.uchile.cl
Journal of the American College of Nutrition
|January 5, 2002
Summary
Pelvic radiotherapy causes acute small bowel injury, leading to significant fat-free mass loss and altered intestinal function. This study evaluated these nutritional and intestinal changes post-radiation.
Area of Science:
- Gastroenterology
- Oncology
- Nutrition Science
Background:
- Pelvic radiotherapy is known to cause acute small bowel injury.
- The impact of pelvic radiotherapy on patients' nutritional status remains largely unknown.
Purpose of the Study:
- To prospectively evaluate the nutritional, functional, and morphologic changes in the small intestine following pelvic radiotherapy.
Main Methods:
- Prospective study of 15 patients before and after pelvic irradiation.
- Comprehensive assessments included clinical, nutritional (dietary recall, anthropometry, DEXA), and intestinal parameters (permeability, transit time, biopsies).
Main Results:
- Increased intestinal permeability and decreased intestinal transit time were observed five weeks post-radiotherapy.
- Patients experienced weight loss, primarily of fat-free mass, despite no significant changes in caloric intake.
- Jejunal biopsies revealed hypertrophy of villi and crypts, indicating structural intestinal changes.
Conclusions:
- Pelvic radiation therapy induces significant intestinal morphologic and functional alterations.
- A notable consequence is the loss of fat-free mass in patients undergoing pelvic radiotherapy.