The significance of immunonutrition nutritional support in patients undergoing postoperative adjuvant chemotherapy for lung cancer: case–control study

Background In this study, the effect of postoperative early nutritional supplementation on the course of the disease was investigated in patients who were operated for non-small cell lung cancer and received adjuvant chemotherapy. Methods The study examined the data of patients who anatomical pulmonary resection for non-small cell lung cancer and who were treated with adjuvant chemotherapy at our clinic between January 2014 and January 2020. Patients who received early postoperative nutritional supplements and those who continued with a normal diet were compared in terms of complications, mortality, recurrence, and survival. Results The study sample consisted of 68 (84%) male and 13 (16%) female patients, and the mean duration of postoperative follow-up was 31.6 ± 17.9 (4–75) months. Metastasis was identified in eight (17.4%) patients in Grup NS (Nutritional Supplements) compared to 10 (28.6%) patients in Group C (Control) ( p = 0.231). Of the total, 11 (23.9%) patients died in Group NS compared to 13 (37.1%) in Group C ( p = 0.196). Mean survival was 58.9 ± 3.8 (95% CI : 4.0–75.0) months in Group NS compared to 43.5 ± 4.6 (95% CI : 6.0–66.0) months in Group C ( p = 0.045). Conclusion Early nutritional supplements should be considered as having a positive effect especially on survival in this specific patient group involving factors with high catabolic effects, such as neoplasia, operation, and chemotherapy together.