Effects of parenteral nutrition on the immune system in patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma

Oncologic patients often face malnutrition, particularly in the case of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma(HNSCC), due to the site of the lesion that may hinder swallowing. Malnutrition is associated with immunosuppression and increased incidence of infections and mortality, and improving the nutritional status with support regimes, such as parenteral nutrition (PN) can restore immune competence.The bags destined for PN contain mostly lipids and are enriched with essential fatty acids, specifically polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) ω3 and ω6. It is now clear that lipids, including PUFAs, influence the immune system: ω3 have an anti-inflammatory effect, thus repressing the immune response, whereas ω6 promote Th1-like responses.Although current guidelines suggest caution in the use lipid emulsions of ω6 in patients with uncontrolled inflammatory responses, such as those underlying autoimmune diseases, these may instead be advisable in patients unable to develop an adequate antitumoral response.Thegoal of clinical research is the personalization of therapies which include supportive therapies, such as nutritional support. It is indeed possible to predict that, in the near future, the individualized choice of specific nutrients could allow the patient not only to deal with chemotherapy with less toxicity, but also to promote advantageous immune responses and, therefore, survival

Comprehensive nutritional assessment in short bowel syndrome with chronic renal failure on teduglutide therapy: A case report

We report the case of a 62-y-old woman with short bowel syndrome (SBS) and chronic renal failure, successfully treated with teduglutide, who underwent comprehensive systematic nutritional assessment including bioelectrical impedance vectorial analysis (BIVA). The patient did not tolerate the attempt of gradual suspension of parenteral nutrition (PN), bumping into the worsening of nutritional status and renal function. She was declared eligible for teduglutide, a glucagonlike peptide 2 analog that stimulates structural and functional intestinal adaptation and increases nutrient and fluid absorption. To date, there is no standardized nutritional management protocol for PN-dependent SBS patients treated with teduglutide. We here report our first 1-y follow-up data. The patient underwent comprehensive systematic nutritional assessment initially every 2 wk, then monthly. It included handgrip strength (HGS), blood tests (particularly serum creatinine, estimated glomerular filtration rate, urea, electrolytes, micronutrients, serum albumin), fluid intake, urine output, quality-of-life (QoL) evaluation, and BIVA, which estimates fat-free mass (FFM) and measures phase angle (PhA) and hydration status. At treatment initiation, the patient was on PN 3 d/wk. After 3 mo, she was weaned off PN. At 1 y, weight and serum albumin were reduced (–7.5 kg and –0.6 g/dL, respectively); FFM, PhA, and HGS slightly decreased; hydration status and renal function were preserved; and QoL subtly improved. No relevant clinical complications or metabolic imbalances occurred. The inclusion of BIVA in the comprehensive systematic nutritional assessment of SBS patients treated with teduglutide could be proposed for appropriate and safe management, particularly in the presence of renal impairment

Cancer-related malnutrition management: A survey among Italian Oncology Units and Patients’ Associations

Attitudes toward cancer-related malnutrition vary considerably among oncologists and nutritional support is often not handled according to the available guidelines. The Italian Association of Medical Oncology (AIOM), Italian Society of Artificial Nutrition and Metabolism (SINPE), Italian Federation of Volunteer-based Cancer Organizations (FAVO), and Fondazione AIOM Working Group conducted a national web-based survey addressed to all Italian Oncology Units referees and Italian Cancer Patients Associations. The aim was to investigate the current management of malnutrition and views on nutritional care among oncologists and patients. One hundred and seventy-one (51.6%) of the 331 registered Italian Oncology Units and 75 (38.5%) of the 195 FAVO local communities participated in the survey. Nutritional assessment and support were integrated into patient care from diagnosis for 35% of Oncology Unit referees and 15% of FAVO associates. According to 42% of oncologists, nutritional assessment was carried out only after patients requested it, while it was not performed at all for 45% of FAVO associates. Almost 60% of patient affiliates were not aware of clinical referrals for home artificial nutrition management. However, for almost all responders, the evaluation of nutritional status was considered crucial in predicting tolerance to anticancer treatment. Although malnutrition was considered a limiting factor in oncology treatments by both oncologists and patients, nutritional care practices still appear largely inappropriate. Attitudes differ between oncologists and patients, the latter reporting a more dissatisfied picture. Improving nutritional care in oncology remains a challenging task

Validation of a new prognostic body composition parameter in cancer patients

Background & aims: Estimation errors associated with bioelectric impedance evaluation may affect the accuracy of body composition and its prognostic value. We evaluated the prognostic value of a new body composition parameter (Nutrigram®) obtained from bioimpedance vectorial analysis-derived body cell mass and its association with nutritional and functional status. Design: Data of Italian and German cancer patients observed prospectively until death were used. Multivariable models (adjusted for age, gender, hydration status, performance status, and disease's stage) were built in both cohorts to assess the association between body composition outcome parameters (low fat-free mass [FFM], <15 [females] and <17 [males] kg/m2; low standardized phase angle [SPA], <−1.65; low Nutrigram®, <510 [females] and <660 [males] mg/24 h/m) and 1-year all-cause mortality, low body mass index (BMI; <20 [<70 years] and <22 [≥70 years] kg/m2), clinically significant weight loss (WL; ≥10% in 6 months) and low handgrip strength (HG; <20 [females] and <30 [males] kg). Results: Low Nutrigram® was independently associated with mortality in both Italian (HR = 1.84 [95%CI, 1.18–2.86]; P = 0.007) and German cohorts (HR = 1.52 [95%CI, 1.17–2.07]; P = 0.008). Low FFMI and low SPA did not predict survival in the German cohort. In patients with low Nutrigram®, worse nutritional and functional status were observed in both study populations. Performance of models addressing the study endpoints showed substantial consistency with both cohorts, particularly of those including low Nutrigram®. Conclusions: We validated a new prognostic body composition parameter, which is easier to interpret than standard nutritional parameters and may be useful for identifying cancer patients at nutritional risk, requiring early nutritional support

Bioelectrical impedance vector analysis-derived phase angle predicts survival in patients with systemic immunoglobulin light-chain amyloidosis

Background: The aim of the present prospective study (ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT02111538) was to assess the prognostic value of phase angle (PhA), derived from bioimpedance vectorial analysis (BIVA), in patients affected by systemic amyloid light-chain (AL) amyloidosis. Methods: One hundred-twenty seven consecutive newly diagnosed, treatment-naïve patients with histologically confirmed AL amyloidosis were enrolled. Nutritional assessment including BIVA-derived PhA was performed before treatment initiation. Results: PhA was associated with unintentional weight loss, caloric intake and the physical component of quality of life (QoL). After a median follow-up of 16.3 months (25th–75th percentile: 8.4–28.9 months), 49 (38.6%) subjects had died. At multivariable Cox proportional hazard analysis, PhA ≤4.3 independently predicted survival (HR = 2.26 [95%CI, 1.04–4.89]; p =.038]) after controlling for hydration status, haematologic response to treatment and modified Mayo Clinic cardiac stage. There was no effect modification of PhA on mortality by cardiac stage (P for interaction = 0.61). Conclusions: In AL amyloidosis, BIVA-derived PhA is associated with the common parameters implied in malnutrition assessment and QoL, and adjusted for hydration independently predicts survival. Due to its feasibility, BIVA should be systematically considered for the nutritional and clinical assessment of AL patients, in whom nutritional intervention trials are warranted

Early 7-day supplemental parenteral nutrition improves body composition and muscle strength in hypophagic cancer patients at nutritional risk

PURPOSE: The international guidelines recommend the use of supplemental parenteral nutrition (SPN) in cancer patients when they are malnourished and hypophagic and where enteral nutrition is not feasible. However, there are limited data on the short-term effects of SPN in this patient population. METHODS: The aim of this bicentric single-arm clinical trial (NCT02828150) was to evaluate the effects of early 7-day SPN on bioimpedance vectorial analysis (BIVA)-derived body composition, handgrip strength (HG), and serum prealbumin (PAB) in 131 hypophagic, hospitalized cancer patients at nutritional risk, with contraindications for enteral nutrition. RESULTS: One hundred eighteen patients (90.1%) completed the 7-day SPN support regimen and 102 of them (86.4%) were in advanced disease stage. SPN induced a significant improvement of phase angle (PhA, + 0.25 [95% CI 0.11, 0.39]; p = 0.001), standardized phase angle (SPA, + 0.33 [95% CI 0.13, 0.53]; p = 0.002), HG (+ 2.1 kg -95% CI 1.30, 2.81]; p < 0.001), and PAB (+ 3.8 mg/dL [95% CI 2.1, 5.6]; p < 0.001). In multivariable analysis, the effects on BIVA parameters were more pronounced in patients (N = 90, 76.3%) in whom estimated protein and calorie requirements were both satisfied (adjusted difference: PhA, + 0.39 [95% CI 0.04, 0.73]; p = 0.030; SPA, + 0.62 [95% CI 0.16, 1.09]; p = 0.009). No significant changes in hydration status were detected and no severe metabolic or other complications occurred. CONCLUSIONS: Early 7-day SPN resulted in improved body composition, HG and PAB levels in hypophagic, and hospitalized cancer patients at nutritional risk in the absence of any relevant clinical complications. Further trials, aimed at verifying the efficacy of this early nutritional intervention on mid- and long-term primary clinical endpoints in specific cancer types, are warranted

Influence of different lipid emulsions on specific immune cell functions in head and neck cancer patients receiving supplemental parenteral nutrition: An exploratory analysis

Objectives: The effect of diet on immune responses is an area of intense investigation. Dietary lipids have been shown to differently influence and fine-tune the reactivity of immune cell subsets, thus potentially affecting clinical outcomes. Patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma face malnutrition, due to swallowing impairment related to the tumor site or to treatment sequalae, and may need supplemental parenteral nutrition (SPN) in addition to oral feeding when enteral nutrition is not feasible. Additionally, immune depression is a well-known complication in these patients. Parenteral nutrition (PN) bags contain amino acids, minerals, electrolytes and mostly lipids that provide calories in a concentrated form and are enriched with essential fatty acids. The aim of this study was to investigate multiple parameters of the immune responses in a cohort of patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma undergoing supplemental PN with bags enriched in ω-3 or ω-9 and ω-6 fatty acids. Methods: To our knowledge, this was the first exploratory study to investigate the effects of two different PN lipid emulsions on specific immune cells function of patients with advanced head and neck squamous carcinoma. ω-3-enriched fish-oil-based- and ω-6- and ω-9-enriched olive-oil-basedSPN was administered to two groups of patients for 1 wk in the context of an observational multicentric study. Polychromatic flow cytometry was used to investigate multiple subsets of leukocytes, with a special focus on cellular populations endowed with antitumor activity. Results: Patients treated with olive-oil-based PN showed an increase in the function of the innate (natural killer cells and monocytes) and adaptive (both CD4 and CD8 cells) arms of the immune response. Conclusion: An increase in the function of the innate and adaptive arms of the immune response may favor antitumoral responses

Providing nutritional care to cancer patients during the COVID-19 pandemic: an Italian perspective

The COVID-19 outbreak has drastically changed practices inside hospitals, which include oncology routines. In oncology, malnutrition was and certainly still is a frequent problem associated with an increase in treatment-related toxicity, a reduced response to cancer treatment, an impaired quality of life, and a worse overall prognosis. Even in this situation of healthcare crisis, nutritional support in cancer care is an essential element. During the current COVID-19 pandemic, there is a concrete high risk to see a dramatic worsening of cancer patients’ nutritional status, who are left without adequate clinical and nutritional support. The consequences are already reasonably foreseeable and will have a severe negative impact after the emergency. Therefore, we believe that it is essential to try to continue, as far as possible, the activity of clinical nutrition in oncology, by revolutionizing the setting and the approach to patients. For this purpose, the Clinical Nutrition and Dietetics Unit and the Medical Oncology Unit of our hospital, one of the largest community hospital in Lombardy that has been involved in the COVID-19 outbreak management since its inception, have reorganized the clinical routine activity in strict collaboration since the very beginning of the emergency, to better face up to the challenge, while preserving cancer patients’ needs