Total parenteral nutrition in the cancer patient

Malnutrition is a common accompaniment of malignant disease and clearly places the cancer patient at increased risk. Adequate nutritional rehabilitation of the malnourished cancer patient can correct abnormal nutritional indices. In the surgical patient, this has been shown to decrease perioperative morbidity and mortality. Nutritionally repleted patients undergoing radiation or chemotherapy may be more tolerant and, therefore, more likely to respond to treatment although, thus far, a favorable effect on outcome has not been demonstrated conclusively. Patients who are to receive multimodal treatment with chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and surgery are at a particularly high risk for the development of malnutrition, and the institution of one treatment may be predicated on recovery from the previous therapy. When a major abdominal surgical procedure is part of the treatment plan, TPN may be required to prevent malnutrition in an otherwise nutritionally intact patient at the outset of therapy. For patients in whom TPN is indicated, adequate nutritional restoration is of paramount importance. Calories and nitrogen in excess of amounts predicted for noncancer patients may be required. Sequential nutritional assessment is a must to assure the adequacy of nutritional repletion. Considerations of cost and simplicity make the enteral route the preferred avenue for nutritional repletion if the gut is available for use. Certainly, when indicated, however, the risk and expense of parenteral nutrition is justified, particularly in the surgical patient. At present there are no data to justify the use of one particular amino acid formulation or energy source over another. A balanced amino acid solution with glucose as the primary energy source seems equally as efficacious as specialized amino acid formulas and lipid as the primary calorie source.