P368 - POSTOPERATIVE IMMUNONUTRITION IMPROVES NUTRITIONAL RESILIENCE AFTER GASTROINTESTINAL CANCER SURGERY

P368

POSTOPERATIVE IMMUNONUTRITION IMPROVES NUTRITIONAL RESILIENCE AFTER GASTROINTESTINAL CANCER SURGERY

L. M. B. Oliveira¹, C. X. Alves², J. C. A. S. Dantas³, A. L. C. Miranda³, Y. G. Nagashima³, S. H. Lima Vale^4,*

¹Graduate program of Nutrition, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, ²Walfredo Gurgel Hospital, ³Liga Norte Rio-grandense Contra o Câncer, ⁴Departament of Nutrition, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, Brazil

Rationale: Specialized nutritional intervention is essential for clinical recovery. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of postoperative immunomodulatory supplementation in malnourished patients with gastrointestinal tract cancer undergoing surgical treatment.

Methods: A pragmatic clinical trial was conducted with 56 participants recruited from an oncology unit in Brazil. Biochemical and anthropometric data were collected before and after surgery. Nutritional status was assessed using the Patient-Generated Subjective Global Assessment (PG-SGA). Participants classified as well-nourished (Group A) received standard postoperative nutritional guidance, while those identified with suspected, moderate, or severe malnutrition (Group BC) received the same guidance plus an immunomodulatory supplement for 10 days postoperatively.

Results: Group A showed significant reductions in weight (Δ = -4.1; p < 0.001), BMI (Δ = -1.7; p < 0.001), and calf circumference (Δ = -0.8; p = 0.004) between pre- and postoperative measurements. Group BC also showed significant reductions in weight (Δ = -2.0; p < 0.001) and BMI (Δ = -1.4; p < 0.001), but the magnitude of loss was smaller compared to Group A. Supplement adherence in malnourished patients resulted in reduced variation in weight, BMI, arm, and calf circumference, indicating a protective effect.

Conclusion: These findings reinforce the importance of early nutritional support and the integration of immunomodulatory supplementation in the postoperative care of malnourished cancer patients, contributing to improved nutritional outcomes and supporting better treatment tolerance and quality of life.

Disclosure of Interest: None declared