Nutritional Interventions in Gastric Cancer Patient Care
Summary
Malnutrition is highly prevalent among individuals with gastric malignancy, owing to tumour‐associated anorexia, impaired gastric function and the metabolic impact of cancer therapies. Nutritional interventions span the continuum of care, from preoperative screening and risk stratification to perioperative enteral regimens, postoperative oral supplementation and long-term micronutrient repletion. Early assessment using validated indices enables personalised support and may reduce surgical complications, shorten hospital stay and preserve body composition. Enteral approaches, whenever gastrointestinal continuity permits, are favoured to maintain mucosal integrity and immune competence, while oral formulations and elemental diets serve as adjuncts to counteract weight and muscle loss. Multidisciplinary nutrition support teams integrate dietetic expertise, oncology and surgical care to optimise tolerance of neoadjuvant and adjuvant therapies and enhance quality of life across diverse health-care settings.
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Nutritional Interventions in Gastric Cancer Patient Care publication trend
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Technical terms
Gastrectomy: surgical removal of part or all of the stomach, often for tumour resection.
Enteral nutrition: provision of nutrients directly into the gastrointestinal tract via oral or tube feeding.
Oral nutritional supplements (ONS): calorie-dense, nutrient-rich formulations taken by mouth to augment dietary intake.
Elemental diet: a nutrition formula composed of fully hydrolysed amino acids, simple sugars and minimal fat, requiring little digestive effort.
Postgastrectomy syndromes: a spectrum of functional disturbances, including dumping syndrome and small-intestinal bacterial overgrowth, arising after stomach resection.
References
- Nutrition update in gastric cancer surgery. Annals of Gastroenterological Surgery (2020).
- Efficacy and safety of post-discharge oral nutritional supplements for patients with gastric cancer undergoing gastrectomy: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Frontiers in Nutrition (2025).
- Enteral Nutrition in Operated-On Gastric Cancer Patients: An Update. Nutrients (2024).
- Long‐term effects of an oral elemental nutritional supplement on post‐gastrectomy body weight loss in gastric cancer patients (KSES002). Annals of Gastroenterological Surgery (2019).
- The effects of nutritional support team intervention on postoperative immune function, nutritional statuses, inflammatory responses, clinical outcomes of elderly patients with gastric cancer. BMC Surgery (2022).
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