Objetive:

According to the available evidence on parenteral nutritional support (PNS) in cancer patients, treatment in the last days of life should be based on comfort, and the PNS does not provide benefits or is free of risks. The objective of the study is to analyze the use of the SNP in cancer patients during the last week of life.

Methodology:

Retrospective observational study. All cancer patients who received PNS in a health service with 350,000 inhabitants between 2016-2021 are included. Those who had received PNS in the last week of life were selected. Demographic variables recorded: age, sex, weight, height; clinical variables: diagnosis, functional status; PNS-related variables: duration, venous access, days from removal to death.

Results:

287 cancer patients received PNS. 75 patients (26%) maintained PNS in the last week of life, median age 69 years (60-75). Most frequent diagnoses: colon cancer (29.3%) and lung cancer (20%). Median duration of 8.1 days (2-9). Of the patients with SNP in the last week of life, 28% received it until the day of death.

Conclusion:

More than a quarter of cancer patients who received PNS maintained it until the last week of life. The goal in these patients should not be to try to correct malnutrition but to control symptoms and improve quality of life. Interventional approaches such as PNS, which can prolong suffering and increase the necessary associated costs, should be avoided.

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