The benefits of a chemically defined diet for patients with anal canal tumour submitted to radiotherapy and chemotherapy associated

Abstract

Malnutrition is observed in patients with cancer, and this is a factor that increases complications and mortality. Malignant tumours of the digestive tract result in obstructions that interfere in the absorption of nutrients, leading to weight loss. The symptoms of cancer of the anal canal are pain, bleeding, diarrhea. The treatment with radiochemotherapy result in nausea, vomit, diarrhea, fibrosis of the anal canal and radioepidermal inflammation. Hence, it is necessary to prescribe a low-residue diet to prevent fecal impactation, as well as to reduce the frequency and effort of evacuations and fecal volume. However, fluid diets in natura with low-residue rate, provide low calory and protein intake. The aim of this study was to describe the importance of the food supplementation through a chemically low-residue diet, with the adequate provision of calories and protein in patients with cancer of the anal canal submitted to radiochemotherapy, therefore, contributing, to prevent the aggravation of the nutritional depletion. This study consists in a review of classical books, articles from specialized indexed Brazilian internacional journals present in the Medline web site. In this study it becomes evident that the nutritional supplementation of chemically- defined diets offers a proper amount of the nutrients, good acceptance, emotional well-being and an increase in food ingestion. Hence, we conclude that food supplements are indicated to patients that present depletion of the nutritional status, especially those to whom the use of restrictive diets is necessary, such as low-residue diet for of the anal canal.