Effect Of Enteral Nutrition Support On The Curative Effect And Immune System In Patients With Rectal Cancer During Fast Track Surgery

Objective: To investigate the effect of enteral nutrition support on the curative rate and immune system in patients with rectal cancer during fast track surgery. Methods: Seventy-six patients with rectal cancer who received fast track surgery (FTS) intervention were divided into the enteral group (n=38) and parenteral group (n=38) by a randomized method. Patients in the enteral group received enteral nutrition support and patients in the parenteral group received parenteral nutrition support. The differences in clinical indicators, nutrition status and immunity of patients one week before surgery as well as 1st day and 7th day after surgery between the two groups were analyzed. Results: The levels of general clinical indicators in the enteral group were lower than those in the parenteral group (all P<0.01). There were no significant differences in levels of nutritional indicators, lymphocytes, neutrophils, CD4(+)/CD8(+), immunoglobulin, C-reactive protein (CRP) and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha) before surgery between the two groups (all P>0.05). Compared with the parenteral group, there were higher levels of nutrition indicators, lymphocytes and CD4(+)/CD8(+), but lower levels of neutrophils in the enteral group at different times after surgery (all P<0.05). There were no significant differences in levels of immunoglobulin and CRP on the 1st day after surgery between the two groups (P>0.05). Compared with the parenteral group, there were higher levels of immunoglobulins, but lower levels of CRP in the enteral group on the 7th day after surgery (all P<0.01). The levels of TNF-alpha in the enteral group were lower than those in the parenteral group on the 1st day and 7th day after surgery (all P<0.01). The incidence of adverse reactions in the enteral group (42.11%, 16 cases) was lower than that in the parenteral group (60.53%, 23 cases; P<0.05). Conclusion: Enteral nutrition is safer than parenteral nutrition in rectal cancer patients during FTS, as it can accelerate peristalsis, reduce inflammation and improve the immune function of these patients.