부산대학교 도서관

Compared with other gastrointestinal cancers, 70% of patients who are newly diagnosed with esophageal cancer are malnourished. In addition, the mortality rate of patients with esophageal cancer undergoing concurrent chemoradiotherapy would double if these patients experience weight loss of more than 10%. These findings indicate the importance of nutritional support in patients with esophageal cancer. Many studies have revealed that patients with cancer who are administered formulations containing ω-3 fatty acids (i.e., docosahexaenoic and eicosapentaenoic acids) show positive improvements in cancer cachexia, potentially reversing or preventing its development/progression; this has a favorable impact on the nutritional status of these patients. The aim of this study was to investigate the influence of enteral nutrition enriched with ω-3 fatty acids on body composition and nutritional status. In this randomized trial, we recruited 10 patients with esophageal cancer who were randomly assigned to two groups. During concurrent chemoradiotherapy, one group received a formulation containing ω-3 fatty acids (experimental group), whereas the other group received a standard balanced formulation (control group). Changes in body weight, nutritional status, quality of life, and blood biochemical values were monitored. The results showed that the median body weight differences between the two groups (experimental group vs. control group) of -1.50 kg vs. -1.80 kg. The median differences in calf circumferences between the two groups of -0.50 cm vs. ＜ 0.01 cm. The median differences in mid-arm circumference between the two groups were -1.00 cm vs. -1.30 cm. The median differences in albumin between the two groups were -0.20 mg/mL vs. -0.40 mg/mL. The median differences in hemoglobin between the two groups were -2.60 g/dL vs. -2.80 g/dL. The median differences in C-reactive protein (CRP) between the two groups were -0.12 mg/dL vs. 0.15 mg/dL. Our results revealed that the median weight, mid-arm circumference, albumin, and hemoglobin decreased less in the experimental group than in the control group, while the median CRP increased less in the experimental group than in the control group. This finding may be due to the small number of study participants. In future studies, further observations with a larger sample size are warranted to monitor changes in nutritional status and thus provide more nutritional support options for patients with cancer during treatment.