Parenteral nutrition in patients with cancer: recent guidelines and a need for further study.
OBJECTIVE
This review is intended to summarize previous data on the use of parenteral nutrition in cancer patients to acknowledge recent guidelines on this subject and to suggest a need for further research.


RESULTS
Recent guidelines advise against parenteral nutrition in patients with incurable malignancies, although in some situations, patients with locally advanced cancers - not necessarily incurable cancers - might derive some benefit. Further study is indicated to better understand if other subgroups of patients might derive benefit and to understand quality of life issues.


CONCLUSIONS
Recent guidelines are of value in clinical management but there remains a need to further study the role of parenteral nutrition in cancer patients.
Burnette
Brian
B
Department of Oncology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota, USA.
Jatoi
Aminah
A
D006801:Humans; D044342:Malnutrition / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy*; D009362:Neoplasm Metastasis; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery / Q000628:therapy*; D010288:Parenteral Nutrition / Q000379:methods / Q000592:standards*; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D019452:Terminally Ill