Enteral and parenteral nutrition in anorectic patients with advanced gastrointestinal cancer

Seventeen patients with advanced, noncurable gastrointestinal cancer with symptoms of anorexia and malnutrition were treated with controlled enteral or total parenteral nutrition over a 3-week period. Eleven patients received enteral and six parenteral nutrition. The nutrition was given with 30-40 kcal/kg b.w. daily. No anticancer treatment was given. Before and after the treatment period, the patients were assessed regarding their nutritional, immunological, and performance status. None of the studied nutritional parameters changed significantly over the 3-week period and there was no clear indication of an improved lymphocyte reactivity. There was a tendency toward improvement in performance status for the patients on enteral nutrition, while the reverse seemed to be true for the parenteral group. It is concluded that nutritional support may halt the progressive malnutrition often seen in patients with cancer and serve as a palliative treatment in selected patients.