Abstract

PLANAS, M.; PUIGGROS, C.  and  REDECILLAS, S.. Contribution of nutritional support to fight cancer cachexia. Nutr. Hosp. [online]. 2006, vol.21, suppl.3, pp.27-36. ISSN 1699-5198.

To increase dietary intake and to fight anorexia several measures to treat symptoms and administer the most adequate diet according to composition, texture and flavour are proposed. However, in the anorexiacaquexia present in cancer patients not always these measures are effective. Now a day it seems more reasonable to approach this problem with different strategies directed to modulate the pathologic alterations associated. The analysis of specific nutritional support as part as the treatment of these patients from a systematic review conclude that no high methodological quality studies to analyze the impact of oral supplementation on a specific group of patients, neither the study of functional effects are done. However, an increase in the total energy intake, not maintained over the time, was observed. The effects on weight and corporal composition are variable, with small differences between groups with o without supplementation and confuse due to, mainly, the heterogeneity of the patients included in the different studies analyzed. The analysis of the effects of nutritional supplements administered by enteral feeding shown an increase in the energy intake with an increase in body weight or a lack of decrease it, and with some functional and clinical beneficial effects. Despite the results and conclusions obtained, a strong recommendation to conduct clinical trials in specific group of cancer patients with different antineoplasic treatment seems necessary. N-3 fatty acids, especially eicosapentaenoic acid may have anticachectic properties. Although further trials are necessary the limited results available suggests that nutritional supplements enriched with EPA may reverse cachexia in cancer patients.

Keywords : Anorexia; Cachexia; Nutritional Supplements; Eicosapentanoic acid; Omega-3 fatty acids-enriched supplements.

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