Nutritional Support Therapy in Surgical Oncology

Cancers of the esophagus and stomach have a majorimpact on patients’ nutritional status by virtue of theseorgans’ inherent digestive functions. Many patients withthese cancers will require surgical intervention, whichimposes further metabolic demands and compoundspre-existing nutritional disorders. Patients with esophagogastriccancer are likely to have lost weight by thetime the diagnosis is made. This fact alone is of clinicalimportance as it is well known that patients who havelost weight will have higher operative mortality andmorbidity rates than patients who maintain their weight.Initial assessment of patients with esophagogastriccancer should therefore include a routine evaluation ofnutritional status. This will allow the identification ofpatients who are at risk of complications, particularlyin the postoperative setting. These patients should betargeted for specific nutritional support.Keywords: esophagus – gastric – cancer – surgery –nutrition.