title: Parenteral nutrition in advanced cancer: indications and clinical practice guidelines.
abstract: Cachexia is a disturbing and disfiguring aspect of many advanced cancers. Parenteral nutrition (PN) is a controversial and expensive treatment for cancer cachexia. Guidelines for the use of PN for these patients have been suggested. These two case reports will highlight some of the issues around the etiology of cancer cachexia, the clinical dilemmas and the use of clinical practice guidelines.
authors.affiliation: Division of Palliative Care Medicine, University of Alberta Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.
authors.forename: Noush
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Mirhosseini
authors.forename: Robin L
authors.initials: RL
authors.lastname: Fainsinger
authors.forename: Vickie
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Baracos
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D002100:Cachexia / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy*; D005260:Female; D017219:Gastric Outlet Obstruction / Q000150:complications; D006801:Humans; D007412:Intestinal Fistula / Q000150:complications; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000150:complications / Q000628:therapy*; D010166:Palliative Care; D010288:Parenteral Nutrition; D018579:Patient Selection; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic