Palliative medicine
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Palliative medicine · Mar 2022
C-reactive protein and white blood cell count are adverse prognostic markers for patients with advanced cancer on parenteral nutrition in a palliative care unit setting: A retrospective cohort study.
Parenteral nutrition is controversial in patients with advanced cancer. Nevertheless, this treatment is common practice near the end of life. ⋯ Patients who responded with an increase of C-reactive protein or white blood cell count during 2 weeks after reinitiation or start of parenteral nutrition had a worse survival. Our findings might support clinicians and patients in their decision to forgo parenteral nutrition in a palliative care setting.