In cancer patients who have gastrointestinal failure due to disease progression or treatment consequences, parenteral nutrition is therapy for gastrointestinal failure. In our study, we analysed values of phase angle (slo. Fazni Kot – FK) and fat free mass index (FFMI) of palliative cancer patients on home parenteral nutrition (HPN). We compared values obtained by the method of bioelectrical impedance analysis measurements at the initial evaluation of nutritional status with their condition in 3 months after the introduction of HPN. For the analysis, FK values were used to assess the effect of HPN in cancer patients on changes in functional status, and FFMI values were used to assess changes in functional mass. In the study, we found that HPN can contribute to the improvement of functional mass, the highest increase in FFMI was in those patients who received the highest volume of HPN (䁥 2500 ml). There is also a trend of improvement in FK, the greatest improvement was observed in patients receiving the lowest volume of HPN (䁥 500 ml and < 1000 ml). The results of the research confirm that the nutritional support of a palliative cancer patient with gastrointestinal failure is important, especially because it enables the maintenance of functional mass and improves the functional status of patients on HPN. This contributes to the metabolic reserve of the cancer patient, improves cancer control, maintains patient capacity and quality of life.
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