title: The role of immunonutritional support in cancer treatment: Current evidence.
abstract: The significant role of the immune system in cancer treatment has given rise to an emerging field of study within oncology, and one that is attracting increasing attention from researchers. Immunotherapy has demonstrated that the immune system is crucial in the fight against cancer. This challenge has led researchers to analyze whether the immune influencing capacity of immunonutrition may aid in improving immune status, modulate the acquired immune response, decrease the treatment toxicity and improve patient outcomes. Immunonutrition, new developed formulas has been demonstrated to improve outcome in surgical patients. This improvement is related to the modulation of the inflammatory response in the peri-operative period. The aim of this review is to analyze current evidence on the benefit of immunonutrition in patients undergoing pro-inflammatory processes in cancer, such as receiving chemotherapy or radiation treatment. With this aim, authors have analyzed the problem studying different aspects: the role of the immune system in cancer treatment, current evidence regarding immunonutrition in perioperative period, current evidence regarding immunonutrition in cancer patients and the relation between immunity and radiotherapy. The conclusions of this review confirm that immunonutrition formulas could modulate inflammatory and immune response in cancer patients. This effect decreases acute toxicity, although the pathways and the measure of this immune response are unclear. Immunonutrition is an emerging field in oncology, and further research is needed.
authors.affiliation: Radiation Oncology Department, Fundacion Jimenez Diaz, Oncohealth Institute, Avda. Reyes Católicos 2, 28040 Madrid, Spain. Electronic address: iprieto@fjd.es.
authors.forename: Isabel
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Prieto
authors.affiliation: Radiation Oncology Department, Hospital Universitario de Fuenlabrada, Calle Camino del Molino, 2, 28942 Fuenlabrada, Madrid, Spain. Electronic address: sara.montemuino@salud.madrid.org.
authors.forename: Sara
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Montemuiño
authors.affiliation: Radiation Oncology Department, Fundacion Jimenez Diaz, Oncohealth Institute, Avda. Reyes Católicos 2, 28040 Madrid, Spain. Electronic address: jluna@fjd.es.
authors.forename: Javier
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Luna
authors.affiliation: Radiation Oncology Department, Hospital Universitario de Fuenlabrada, Calle Camino del Molino, 2, 28942 Fuenlabrada, Madrid, Spain. Electronic address: mariavictoria.detorres@salud.madrid.org.
authors.forename: Maria Victoria
authors.initials: MV
authors.lastname: de Torres
authors.affiliation: Radiation Oncology Department, Hospital Universitario Rey Juan Carlos I, C/ Gladiolo, s/n, 28933 Móstoles, Madrid, Spain. Electronic address: enrique.amaya@hospitalreyjuancarlos.es.
authors.forename: Enrique
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Amaya
mesh_terms: D004032:Diet; D005767:Gastrointestinal Diseases / Q000178:diet therapy / Q000276:immunology / Q000601:surgery; D006801:Humans; D007109:Immunity; D007167:Immunotherapy; D015201:Meta-Analysis as Topic; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000178:diet therapy* / Q000276:immunology / Q000532:radiotherapy; D011878:Radiotherapy; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; D016896:Treatment Outcome
keywords: Cancer nutrition; Immunonutrition; Immunotherapy