Advances in perioperative nutrition: Cancer

The role of perioperative nutritional support in the management of cancer p atients remains controversial, The benefit of supplemental calories is not the only current issue: in fact, the route of delivery, composition of basi c nutrients (carbohydrate, protein, fat), and the role of supplemental addi tives (arginine, glutamine, omega-3 fatty acids, nucleotides) in improving immune status and ultimate outcome have been the focus of much discussion. Emerging data suggest that the use of supple mental agents is associated wi th improvement in immune status in these patients, although there is little clear evidence that this improves outcome. Ongoing studies are aimed at de fining the group of patients who would most benefit from nutritional interv entions during the perioperative period.