Malnutrition is the most frequent nutritional disorder in patients with gastrointestinal cancer and is associated with cachexia syndrome, worsening of prognosis, and shortened survival rate. Early nutrition screening, assessment, and intervention are able to favorably modify the clinical evolution of affected patients. The adequate provision of nutritional requirements has been associated with improvement of immunologic status, and avoidance of further complications related to poor nutritional status, surgical treatment, and anticancer therapy. In malnourished patients, the supplementation of perioperative immunonutrition might contribute to fewer infectious and noninfectious complications, shorter length of hospitalization, and improved wound healing.
Keywords: Cachexia; Cancer; Early enteral nutrition; Immunonutrition; Malnutrition; Nutrition screening.
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