Influence of enteral nutrition on nutritional status, treatment toxicities, and short-term outcomes in esophageal carcinoma patients treated with concurrent chemoradiotherapy: A prospective, multicenter, randomized controlled study

Abstract

Background: To investigate the influence of enteral nutrition on body weight, nutritional status, treatment toxicities, and short-term outcomes in esophageal carcinoma patients with concurrent chemoradiotherapy (CCRT). Methods: Eigible patients were randomly assigned (2:1 ratio) to EN group or control group. The primary endpoint was the change in body weight from baseline after treatment. The secondary endpoints were nutrition related blood parameter changes, treatment toxicities and outcomes. Results: Between Mar. 2015 and Jun. 2017, 222 patients from ten hospitals were randomised into the EN group (n=148) and the control group (n=74). Patients in EN group lost less body weight compared with the control group (P <0.05). There was no difference in total lymphocyte counts in the two groups. Grade 3/4 leukopenia and infection rates were significantly more frequent in the control group than in the EN group (P<0.05). Radiation pneumonitis and esophagitis tended to be less frequent in the EN group, albeit insignificantly. Patients supported on EN experienced greater chemoradiotherapy completion rates. There was no significant difference in tumor response between two groups (P>0.05). Conclusions: Enteral nutrition can reduce the weight loss of esophageal cancer patients during chemoradiotherapy, improve nutritional status, treatment tolerance, reduce toxicity.