The impact of immunomodulatory enteral nutrition on patients submitted to elective gastrointestinal cancer surgery: integrative review

Abstract

Objective:  To carry out a review about the use of enteral nutrition composed of immunonutrients in cancer patients undergoing elective surgery in the gastrointestinal tract on surgical outcomes. Methods: The research was carried out in the Medline, Lilacs and Pubmed databases. Results: The administration of enteral diet in both groups was well tolerated, there was no significant difference in the mortality rate and in the Intensive Care Unit or postoperative hospital stay. The immunomodulatory nutritional therapy was favorable to decrease the TNFα values and increase the total lymphocyte count in the postoperative period. Perioperative enteral immunonutrition has no significant effects on mortality rate, length of hospital stay and complications in gastrointestinal tract surgeries.  Final considerations: Immunonutrition appears to be promising in terms of modulating the immune response. More randomized studies are needed regarding the effects of immunonutrients on abdominal surgical cancer patients.