Trial reportEuropean journal of clinical nutrition2004
Randomized clinical trial with an enteral arginine-enhanced formula in early postsurgical head and neck cancer patients.
Trial report in European journal of clinical nutrition, 2004. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 13 papers, 5 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
13 citing papers in PubMed, 5 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 54 citations in OpenAlex.
- Guidelines for nutrition in adults with head and neck cancer: The American Society for Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition.JPEN. Journal of parenteral and enteral nutrition · 2026Guideline
- The impact of immunonutrition in head and neck cancer surgery: a systematic review with meta-analysis.Acta otorhinolaryngologica Italica : organo ufficiale della Societa italiana di otorinolaringologia e chirurgia cervico-facciale · 2025Pooled it
- Nutrition as prevention for improved cancer health outcomes: a systematic literature review.JNCI cancer spectrum · 2023Pooled it
- APSIC guidelines for the prevention of surgical site infections.Antimicrobial resistance and infection control · 2019Guideline
- Immunonutrition for patients undergoing surgery for head and neck cancer.The Cochrane database of systematic reviews · 2018Pooled it
- Trial
- Clinical and biochemical outcomes after a randomized trial with a high dose of enteral arginine formula in postsurgical head and neck cancer patients.European journal of clinical nutrition · 2007Trial
- Review
- Oral nutritional supplements for preventing surgical site infections: protocol for a systematic review and meta-analysis.Systematic reviews · 2020Article
- Effect of preoperative immunonutrition on complications after salvage surgery in head and neck cancer.Journal of otolaryngology - head & neck surgery = Le Journal d'oto-rhino-laryngologie et de chirurgie cervico-faciale · 2019Article
- Preoperative Immunonutrition and Elective Colorectal Resection Outcomes.Diseases of the colon and rectum · 2017Article
- Should perioperative immunonutrition for elective surgery be the current standard of care?Gastroenterology report · 2016Review
- The association between surgical site infection and previous operation in oral cavity cancer patients.European archives of oto-rhino-laryngology : official journal of the European Federation of Oto-Rhino-Laryngological Societies (EUFOS) : affiliated with the German Society for Oto-Rhino-Laryngology - Head and Neck Surgery · 2012Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
5 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
objectivePatients with head and neck cancer undergoing surgery have a high incidence of postoperative complications. The aim of our study was to investigate whether postoperative nutrition of head and neck cancer patients using an arginine-enhanced formula could improve nutritional variables as well as clinical outcomes.
designRandomized clinical trial.
settingTertiary care. SUBJECTS: A population of 90 patients with oral and laryngeal cancer was enrolled.
interventionsAt surgery, patients were randomly allocated to two groups: (a) patients receiving an arginine-enhanced formula with arginine and fiber (group I) and (b) patients receiving an isocaloric, isonitrogenous formula with fiber enteral formula (group II).
resultsNo significant intergroup differences in the trend of the three plasma proteins (albumin, transferrin, prealbumin) and lymphocytes were detected. Gastrointestinal tolerance (diarrhea) was better in group II than I (40% group I and 13% group II: P<0.05). The postoperative complications due to infections were similar in both groups (4% group I and 9% group II: ns). Fistula (wound complication) was less frequent in the enriched nutrition group (5% group I and 11% group II: P<0.05); wound infection was similar in both groups. The length of postoperative stay was better in group I than II (25.8+/-15 days vs 35+/-24.6 days; P<0.05).
conclusionsIn conclusion, arginine-enhanced formula improves fistula rates in postoperative head and neck cancer patients and decreases length of stay.
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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.