[Preoperative chemotherapy and total parenteral nutrition in colon cancer]

The objective of this study was to determine the effect of TPN after surgery in patients with colon carcinoma and preoperative chemotherapy.

The study included 27 patients, 16 men and 11 women, with a mean age of 62.1 +/- 11.2 years. The patients were divided into two groups according to whether they had undergone chemotherapy (Group A; n = 11) or not (Group B, control; n = 16) prior to surgery. Almost two thirds of the patients were in stage III of the disease. Among those receiving this treatment, 60% were given 5-fluorouracil plus leucovorin at a dose of 5.5 +/- 2.7 cycles/patient and the others received different regimens. TPN was established early with a mean of 11.7 +/- 9.2 days. The clinical and nutritional assessment was performed before surgery and at the end of TPN administration.

The mean body mass index (BMI) was 24.1 +/- 2.2 kg/m2. Comparison between the groups before the start of TPN showed statistically significant differences in red blood cell and platelet counts (P = .013 and P = .02, respectively). These differences had disappeared at completion of TPN, suggesting that this treatment can reverse the hematological changes induced by chemotherapy.

In patients who receive chemotherapy before surgery and in whom TPN it was indicated the combination of these two treatments could be beneficial.