Evidence Hub

Immunonutrition for the Management of Postsurgery GI Cancer Patients

Pezzoli A, Scarcella M, Recanatini G, Bernardino AD, Rasetti C, Morano D, Tack J, Abenavoli L et al.

Nutrients, 2026

Abstract

Postoperative complications in gastrointestinal (GI) cancer patients remain a significant challenge for physicians. It leads to increased morbidity, prolonged hospital stays, and higher healthcare costs. Enteral immunonutrition (EIN) has emerged as a promising add-on treatment to modulate immune response following surgery. In fact, it reduces inflammation and promotes patients' recovery. Indeed, the literature data on its real clinical impact for the patients are inconsistent and, yet, poorly investigated. Thus, the aim of this review was to narratively assess the current evidence for the use of EIN in postoperative GI cancer patients, evaluating the effect on clinical and immunological outcomes of patients. Therefore, a literature search was conducted using the following keywords and associations: enteral immunonutrition, gastrointestinal cancer, immune response, inflammation, and postoperative complication. GI cancers, mainly esophageal and gastric cancer, represent a significant global health burden, characterized by high incidence and mortality rates. The complex interplay between tumor progression, systemic inflammation, and host nutritional status profoundly impacts patient outcomes. Traditional cancer treatments are effective and often lead to severe side effects. The latter includes malnutrition and immunosuppression and can significantly affect patients' recovery. In recent times, the concept of immunonutrition has emerged as a promising add-on therapy able to…

Read the paper

Related studies

Go deeper in Evidence Hub

Evidence Hub adds a study data sheet (design, sample size, evidence level, key numbers), an AI summary and a chat grounded in the paper's text.

Open this study Sign up free