Elemental diet therapy is useful as supportive treatment for patients with unresectable pancreatic cancer

Abstract

According to the recent international consensus statement, cancer cachexia is defined as "a multifactorial syndrome due to an ongoing loss of skeletal muscle mass that cannot be fully reversed by conventional nutritional support and it leads to progressive functional impairment". Its pathophysiology is characterized by a negative protein and energy balance driven by a variable combination of reduced food intake and abnormal metabolism. In addition to cancer cachexia, pancreatic exocrine and endocrine insufficiency causes remarkable weight loss and worsens the prognosis in patients with the unresectable pancreatic cancer. In order to improve the prognosis of unresectable pancreatic cancer, we evaluated the efficacy of elemental diet therapy. Patients were divided into 2 groups: ED group, defined as patients who are able to take 2 packs of elemental diet (Elental^®) more than 12 weeks, and Non-ED group as others. As a result, body weight loss was significantly lower in the ED group and overall survival was significantly longer than that of Non-ED group. Elemental diet therapy for unresectable pancreatic cancer is one of the supportive therapies and contributes towards the overall survival through weight stabilization.