ABSTRACT
Multiple studies have demonstrated that nutritional support improves nutritional indices,4 although anorectic and malnourished patients with advanced gastrointestinal cancer may be an exception.5 Few studies have demonstrated that improving nutritional parameters translates into improved clinical outcome in cancer patients. One early example is a study of 50 patients with either gastroduodenal or pancreatobiliary malignancy who were unable to maintain adequate enteral nutrition in any form and who had parenteral nutrition for an average of 26 days (range 5-109 days). Discharge with improved physical status and plans for continued therapy were predicted by increasing transferrin levels, total lymphocyte count, and to a lesser extent, arm muscle circumference at two weeks, but not changes in albumin level or skin test reactivity.6
