• Shu-An Wang, Fuchao Li, Jiayu Zhu, Xiaotian Chen, Wei Ren, and Bo Gao.
• Department of Clinic Nutrition, Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital, Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing University Medical School, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China.
• Medicine (Baltimore). 2023 Mar 24; 102 (12): e33335e33335.

BackgroundThis study aimed to investigate the effects of multidisciplinary whole-course nutrition management on the nutritional status and complications during the course of treatment in patients with esophageal cancer (EC) undergoing chemoradiotherapy.MethodsA total of 36 EC patients undergoing chemoradiotherapy were divided into a control group (n = 18) and an intervention group (n = 18). Participants in the control group were given routine nutritional support, whereas those in the intervention group were provided whole-course nutrition management from the nutrition support team. Nutrition-related indicators, that is, serum albumin level (ALB), hemoglobin (Hb), and C reactive protein were assessed before, during, and after treatment in both groups. The incidence of complications (e.g., lymphocytopenia, radiation esophagitis, and myelosuppression), clinical outcomes, length of hospital stay, and hospital costs were also recorded. Differences between the 2 groups were tested using the Mann-Whitney U and chi-square tests.ResultsThe ALB and Hb levels of the patients in the control group decreased significantly [ALB: -2.6 (-5.6, 0), P = .01; Hb: -12.0 (-27.0, -2.0), P = .04] and C reactive protein increased [8.9 (2.9, 14.9), P = .02] compared to those before treatment, while the indicators of participants in the intervention group did not change (P > .05). The incidence of grade ≥ II lymphocytopenia was higher in the control group than that in the intervention group (33.3% vs 61.1%, P = .03). Moreover, compared with the control group, the average length of hospital stay decreased by 12 days [47 (40, 50) vs 35 (23, 40), P = .001], and in-patient expenses decreased by 20,504 CNY in the intervention group (P = .004).ConclusionMultidisciplinary whole-course nutrition management can maintain the nutritional status of patients with EC undergoing chemoradiotherapy. This may lower the incidence of complications, shorten hospital stays, and reduce in-patient expenses.Copyright © 2023 the Author(s). Published by Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc.

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