The application of home enteral nutrition in cancer patients: a scoping review

To comprehensively map the available evidence on the application of Home Enteral Nutrition (HEN) in cancer patients, summarize its current application status, reported effects, and identified challenges, and to identify gaps in the literature to inform future research directions.

This scoping review was conducted following the Arksey and O'Malley framework. A computer-based search was conducted in eight databases (PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, Cochrane Library, CNKI, WanFang, VIP, and CBM) for relevant studies from their inception to April 16, 2025. The content from 19 included studies was extracted, summarized, and analyzed.

A total of 19 studies were included, comprising 10 randomized controlled trials and 9 quasi-experimental studies. The most frequently studied cancer type was esophageal cancer (n = 11), followed by gastric cancer (n = 4); other cancer types (gastrointestinal, liver, nasopharyngeal, and colorectal) were also represented. The most frequently reported outcome domains were nutritional status (assessed in 18 studies), quality of life (7 studies), complications/adverse events (6 studies), and Chemotherapy-related conditions (5 studies), the included literature frequently reported improvements in these areas among patients receiving HEN.

The current literature suggests that HEN may play a beneficial role in the management of cancer patients, with studies reporting improvements in nutrition, quality of life, and chemotherapy tolerance. However, there are deficiencies in the quality and standardization of current research. Future research should focus on conducting high-quality studies, establishing unified standards, and strengthening personnel training and patient education to generate high-quality evidence and guide the rational application of HEN in cancer treatment.