Enteral nutritional support in patients undergoing chemoradiotherapy for esophageal carcinoma

Abstract

Esophageal cancer patients are at a high risk of malnutrition. Both the disease itself and chemoradiotherapy will lead to the deterioration of nutritional status. The development of nutritional oncology promotes the application of enteral nutrition in tumor patients. Through nutritional support, prognosis is improved and the incidence of adverse chemoradiotherapy reactions is reduced, especially in those with head and neck or esophageal cancer. This review summarizes enteral nutritional support in esophageal cancer patients undergoing chemoradiotherapy in recent years, including a selection of nutritional assessment tools, the causes and consequences of malnutrition in esophageal cancer patients, types of access and effects of enteral nutrition. More patients with esophageal cancer will benefit from the development of enteral nutrition technology in the future.

Keywords: chemoradiotherapy; enteral nutrition; esophageal cancer; nasogastric tube; percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy; radiation esophagitis; self-expandable metal stents.