Nutritional and metabolic aspects of gastrointestinal cancer.
The profound impact of nutrition and nutritional support on the development and clinical outcome of gastrointestinal cancer is undeniable. However, scientific investigation into this area is recent, and many questions remain unanswered. While the importance of 'good nutrition' is unchallenged, details relating to which patients should receive nutritional support, when they should receive it, and what type of support they should receive are not known. Recent prospective randomized clinical trials and meta-analysis have provided conflicting results. This review summarizes the results of the published studies that have addressed these issues, and provides specifics regarding the current role of nutritional support in clinical care, and the prospects for future research.
Chamberlain
R S
RS
Department of Surgery, Montefiore Medical Center, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, USA.
Fong
Y
Y
D005770:Gastrointestinal Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000628:therapy; D006801:Humans; D018529:Nutritional Support; D011446:Prospective Studies; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic