Short-term evaluation of immune levels and nutritional values of EN versus PN in gastric cancer: a systematic review and a meta-analysis

Gastric cancer is considered as one of the most common cause of cancer-related mortality globally, with higher incidence in less developed regions across the world [1‐3]. A recent retrospective study performed in China showed that gastric cancer is in the top 5 list of most common cancer from 2001 to 2010, although from 2011 to 2015, the incidence of gastric cancer has dropped. This decline in gastric cancer incidence can be attributed to the prevention of gastric cancer through Helicobacter pylori eradication [4‐7]. Malnutrition is common in gastric malignancies generally due to decreased nutritional intake, which can be aggravated by the side effects observed from cancer therapy and the tendency of cancer to release chemicals containing toxins. These factors are believed to be visible in cancer patients with features of severe loss of body mass, nitrogen imbalance, and fatigue. These characteristic anorexigenic factors require feeding tubes in gastric malignancy resections both in nourished and malnourished patients [8].

Diagnosis of gastric cancer is made when the patient is weak, old, in constant decline of organ function, undernourished, and in a cancerous physique [9, 10]. Despite the agony and stress inflicted, surgery is irrefutably the “gold standard” in the treatment of advanced gastric cancer. Hence, the development of enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) has acknowledged minimal invasive procedures as they show similar desired outcomes [11, 12]. Albeit its competency, studies have shown that gastrointestinal cancer patients who underwent surgery also tend to have a concomitant progression of malnutrition, decrease in body weight, increase in hospital stay, and increase incidence of surgical and non-surgical mortality, as well as higher costs of complicated long-term treatment. As such, the prognosis of gastric cancer should involve frequent patient reviews by dieticians [13‐15]. Feeding tubes are not widely recommended when oral feeding is feasible, since their sepsis complications can be devastating [8, 16]. Alternative use of EN or PN has helped define the future implementation of feeding in neoplastic patients in the restoration of optimal metabolism and has improved the body’s capability to repair and replace damaged cells to support patients’ innate immunity [9, 17]. Feeding tubes are indicated when energy and nutrient goals cannot be met by an oral mode of nutrition [8, 18].

Nutrition, as a mode of intervention in surgical patients, begun with PN that was used to restore utilized energy and seemed to improve patients’ general outcomes. Its result of stabilizing body weight was impressive. However, analyses indicated that the body weight factor increases extracellular mass but not muscle mass, as thought to be, and it is costly [19]. In addition, unlike EN, PN bypasses the gastrointestinal tract (GIT), which causes effects on the GIT such as decreasing the brush border hydrolase and nutrient transporter activity, increasing permeability, and decreasing microvillus height. These factors caused by PN are believed to result in damaging changes to the physiology of the gut. Parenteral nutrition was then indicated only when EN was less efficient in postoperative rehabilitation. Studies have indicated that EN can also be presented with complications including incidence of pulmonary infections as a result of gastric reflux, anastomotic leakage, diarrhea due to an imbalance in the intestinal flora, irritation caused by chronic micromovements, and foreign body reaction instigating discomfort. Dedes et al. reported case studies with an incidence of bezoar formation when using EN feeding tubes. Other researchers have found out that using EN either perioperatively or postoperatively is beneficial in aspects such as immunity, decline risk of infections, preservation of gut structure and function, prevention of translocation of intestinal bacteria, promotion of normal blood supply to the gut, wound healing early recovery, and decreasing of hospital stay and cost [19‐25]. Moreover, studies have demonstrated that the use of supplements added to EN after surgery in nourished patients has no significance when compared to standard EN [17]. Generally, EN is deemed superior to PN, as the former can sustain gut barrier integrity and overall reduction of sepsis complications, as well as decreased mortality incidence and cost. Enteral nutrition benefits on cancer patients’ prognosis are also observed as studies show that patients under EN are also seen to endure more doses of chemotherapy after surgery as compared to PN. Administration of EN utilizes the gut. In contrast, PN provides nutrients directly into the bloodstream, but this can be fatal when severe blood sepsis occurs from catheter-related infections. So, PN is considered only when the gut function is dormant and EN contraindicated [8, 19, 20, 26‐28]. Enteral nutrition stimulates gastrointestinal secretions and endogenous hormonal secretions that are important in advancing intestinal adaptation and increase intestinal absorption as compared to oral nutrition and PN. It also accelerates postoperative adaptation to surgical trauma, redeems stomach mucosal functions, and lessens infection complications in comparison to PN [18, 19].

Despite the variations between EN and PN in aspects of clinical outcomes, both Elke et al. and Feng et al. indicated no difference in mortality between the 2 modes of nutrition but a significant reduction of infections in patients under EN. Feng et al. also reported a decrease in organ failure rates in the EN group, whereas Zhao et al. indicated that adding fiber and probiotics in EN could reduce the incidence of diarrhea. A recent randomized control study showed that PN is as safe as EN when delivered according to the recognized practice. However, this result did not indicate that PN is superior to EN [29‐31]. Promoting the innate immune system in malignant patients should be crucial since the weakened body’s immunity is certain upon the diagnosis of cancer; an intact immune system should be able to dismantle cancer cells as soon as they appear [32, 33]. Concept modification in the surgical field has instigated a compound of evidence-based medicine to reciprocate the postoperative side effects. Enhanced recovery programs play a crucial role in counteracting intraoperative and postoperative dilemma. Maintenance of body metabolism and conservation of organ functions in response to surgical stress is optimal in the concept of multimodal ERAS, especially with minimally invasive techniques, as the magnitude of inflammation is greater in open surgeries [34]. Compliance to ERAS has been challenging since there have been different opinions regarding different diseases and conditions addressed in the surgical field. The evolution of enhanced recovery after surgery has been acknowledged in several surgical procedures worldwide due to its commitment to positive clinical outcomes.

Post-surgery patients are only allowed to take clear fluids for about 3 days. The 3-day fasting from nutritious contents will further deteriorate energy and immune levels unless feeding tubes are used. This sequence of nutritional practice after surgery is very common in our modern practice. ERAS coincides with the concept of no feeding tubes after surgery, but to achieve the goal of ERAS, a boost in the immune levels and energy levels of the patients is imperative. Despite feeding tubes being contraindicated due to their bitter nature of irritation, risk of infection, and limited mobility in ERAS protocols [35], their importance is being undermined as the agonizing distress caused by malignancies requires a considerable care on the innate defense system. Our primary objective was to find out if there was any importance in feeding tubes corresponding with immune levels, nutrition values, energy levels, and the incidence of postoperative complications in neoplastic gastric resections.

This study examined innate immune cells such as NK cells, as their capabilities in pro-inflammatory cytokine production and targeted cell lysis that have undergone a malignant transformation or infection are important in the treatment of cancer [49]. Furthermore, levels of CD3+, CD4+, CD8, and CD4+/CD8+ T cells were estimated. Some studies have reported the significance of these cells on the production of interferon (IFN), as well as the phagocytosis of macrophages infected with viral and bacterial antigens [50]. These T Cells were used to investigate the body’s innate response between the two groups. Additionally, the nutrition levels of the patients including albumin, prealbumin, transferrin, and total protein were also used in comparing the two study groups. Both immune and nutritional parameters were estimated as equivalents to equate the possible outcomes of an enhanced recovery including aspects such as shorter hospital periods, since increased postoperative complications are correlated with increased hospital durations and cost.

Our study had 1858 participants, and the final results suggest that postoperative use of feeding tubes have a direct impact on immune T cells, which could have influenced the overall reduction in complication rates that also influences early recovery at a lower cost. Despite some data showing no evidence of statistical significance on postoperative complications such as infections and long-term benefits in the patients’ prognosis (since the duration of intervention was effective for only a short postoperative period and did not include follow-up), clinical parameters that were deemed significant included decreased anal exhaustion time, reduction in postoperative fever time, overall complication rates, and reduction in postoperative hospital length accompanied by lower cost. Time in this study was categorized into two intervals, including postoperative days less than 7 and postoperative days greater than or equal to 7 and not in a form of general postoperative days, since eligible studies differed on the nutrition administration days. We reported an increase in immune levels such as CD3+, CD4+, and CD4+/CD8+ and other indices such as albumin, protein, prealbumin, and transferrin. Results from a recent meta-analysis performed by Cheng et al. indicated no significant difference between EN and EIN in terms of postoperative clinical outcomes such as pulmonary infection (RR = 1.02 95% CI 0.16–6.50, P = 0.98), postoperative complications (RR = 0.57, 95% CI 0.18–1.53, P = 0.24), and wound infection (RR = 0.67, 95% CI 0.12–3.89, P = 0.66) even with additional supplements to EN [51]. Our research demonstrates that feeding tubes have immediate effect on increasing the levels of CD4+/CD8+. Our study data also clarifies the idea that postoperative feeding tubes facilitate shorter durations of hospital stay due to reduced incidence of complications. Despite the paucity of significant differences between EN and PN on infections observed in our current study, postoperative fever time and anal exhaustion periods lasted longer in the PN group. Reduction in postoperative fever time was due to a lower incidence of infections or a boosted immune system in the EN group. A previous meta-analysis performed by Chow et al. showed a significant difference in the decrease in the incidence of infection in the EN group, as compared to the PN group (RR 1.09, 95% CI 1.01 to 1.18, P = 0.03) [52]. Postoperative oral feeding is the mainstay intervention whenever possible. However, patients with cancer tend to have a reduction in immune surveillance, which needs supplementary support such as feeding tubes to influence early recovery [53]. The ultimate goal of promoting the patients’ recovery should be maintaining the optimal body capacity using protocols based on evidence, which are simpler for the practitioner and the patient to comply with, and at the same time, they should have positive results in favor of the patients’ general outcome. ERAS enforces carbohydrate loading and deprecates the routine use of feeding tubes. But studies show that diets with high carbohydrates are likely to pull water into the lumen of the gastrointestinal tract due to the high osmotic load and the leaky epithelium of the jejunum, thereby precipitating net fluid and electrolyte, and do not improve muscle strength [18, 54]. Evidence-based ERAS society researchers also show that carbohydrate loading prior to surgery has more advantages than the disadvantages. Preoperative carbohydrate loading improves perioperative insulin sensitivity, helps maintain body mass, improves preoperative well-being, and should be used routinely as recommended by the ERAS society [55, 56]. Adjustment in the current ERAS protocols to suit patients’ capabilities and expected outcome due to the type of disease and treatment administered should be made easier to comply with. We emphasize on adding enteral feeding tubes to ERAS protocols for the treatment of patients with gastric malignancy after gastrectomy, since the current neglect of feeding tubes is not manageable, accordingly. This is the first study, to the best of our knowledge, that emphasizes feeding tubes in ERAS patients with gastric malignancies undergoing gastrectomy.

Notwithstanding the important observations made from our present study, the results could have been influenced by the geographical location of the study participants (i.e., Asia) due to limited access to data, the different modes of surgical resections, the cancerous state of individual patients, the duration of feeding tube application, the preoperative complications, and the overall sample size. None of the patients from our study groups were from the ERAS pathways due to insufficient data from our sources; therefore, we used the normal doctrine of surgical patients to illuminate the significance of postoperative feeding tubes in gastric cancer.

Although our current study is not designed to answer the questions regarding the postoperative use of feeding tubes in ERAS pathways due to the nature of our study design, we show some thought-provoking findings on EN feeding tube in gastric cancer patients. This meta-analysis investigated the immunity and nutritional importance on the patients’ clinical outcomes. Our participants were not under ERAS pathways but rather the normal perioperative pathways. The results indicated an increase in postsurgical immune levels, increase in nutrition levels, lower incidence of overall complications, shorter hospital durations, and low cost. Conversely, there are no differences in pulmonary infections, wound infections, and anastomotic leakage in the group that administered EN via postoperative feeding tubes. Furthermore, the use of feeding tubes was considered to be possible after gastric cancer resections. Further studies comparing protocols of ERAS with ERAS-based participants using feeding tubes and non-feeding tubes under the current ERAS protocols should be performed.