Parenteral Nutrition in Cancer Patients Undergoing Chemotherapy (DRAFT)

The meta-analysis by McGeer investigates the benefits of parenteral nutritional support for patients with cancer undergoing chemotherapy. The study concluded that total parenteral nutrition (TPN) has a detrimental effect (decreased survival and poorer tumor response), with an increased infection risk but no significant effect on hematologic or gastrointestinal toxicity. The authors report a net harm with the use of TPN in patients undergoing chemotherapy and recommend that such interventions should be discouraged. This chapter describes the basics of the study, briefly reviews other relevant studies and information, gives a summary and discusses implications, and concludes with a relevant clinical case.