Home parenteral nutrition in management of patients with severe radiation enteritis

Five patients who would have been unable to survive because of intestinal complications of radiation therapy were able to lead an otherwise normal life with the use of parenteral nutrition administered at home. One patient died of recurrent carcinoma of the cervix after 14 months. Another patient died as the result of a totally avoidable pharmaceutical error after 2 1/2 years. The remaining three are still disease free without morbidity relating to the parenteral nutrition.