Efficacy of oral nutritional supplement in cancer patients receiving chemotherapy: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials

BACKGROUND

The use of oral nutritional supplement (ONS) is one of the modalities employed to manage cancer-associated malnutrition. However, evidence of its efficacy is limited. In 2018, a meta-analysis reported the statistical benefits of increased body weight from ONS. This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of ONS in cancer patients receiving chemotherapy in more recent trials.

METHODS

All randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of adult cancer patients receiving chemotherapy, which compared ONS with standard of care and reported on body weight, nutritional status, or quality of life (QoL), were included. Eligible RCTs were identified from PubMed, OVID, and the references of previous systematic reviews up until February 2023. The risk of bias was assessed using the Revised Cochrane risk-of-bias tool. The outcomes of interest were pooled and analyzed using the mean difference (MD) with a corresponding 95% confidence interval (CI). This study was registered in PROSPERO, number CRD42023400471.

RESULTS

Ten RCTs comprising 1,101 patients were included. ONS did not show a significant impact on final body weight (MD -0.07 kg, 95% CI: -0.99 to 0.84, P=0.88). It tended to increase body weight (MD 0.90 kg, 95% CI: -0.48 to 2.28, P=0.20), and this benefit was particularly noticeable in elderly patients, those with low baseline body weight, females, and non-Asian patients. After adjusting for risk of bias, ONS was found to significantly increase body weight (MD 1.32 kg, 95% CI: 0.12 to 2.52, P=0.03), and it also tended to enhance Patient-Generated Subjective Global Assessment (PG-SGA) score of -2.13 (95% CI: -5.07 to 0.82, P=0.16), global domain QoL score of 4.01 (95% CI: 0.08 to 7.94, P=0.05) and fatigue domain QoL score of -7.63 (95% CI: -13.87 to -1.39, P=0.02).

CONCLUSIONS

ONS could help to increase body weight in cancer patients receiving chemotherapy. This benefit was especially notable in those at high risk of malnutrition, including elderly patients, those with low baseline body weight, females, and non-Asian patients. It also resulted in improved PG-SGA scores and significantly improved patients' QoL during chemotherapy treatment. Future studies should explore the potential benefit of ONS on oncological outcomes or improvements of chemotherapy-related toxicity.