Evidence map›Paper›PMID 34988183›Full record

ArticleAnnals of translational medicine2021

A randomized controlled trial of oral nutritional supplementation versus standard diet following McKeown minimally invasive esophagectomy in patients with esophageal malignancy: a pilot study.

Hounai Xie, Xiankai Chen, Lei Xu, Ruixiang Zhang, Xiaozheng Kang, Xiufeng Wei, Yafan Yang, Yin Li

Open access · diamondAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Annals of translational medicine, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 7 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
7citing papers in PubMed, 2 pooled it
1.2field-weighted citation impact, top 21% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

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.

2 · The registry

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.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

7 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 14 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Pooled it
  3. Trial
  4. Oral nutritional supplement compliance among hospitalized cancer patients: a cross-sectional study based on the KAP model.Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer · 2025
    Article
  5. Review
  6. Article
  7. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

8 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.

Hounai XieDepartment of Thoracic Surgery, National Cancer Center/National Clinical Research Center for Cancer/Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China.
Xiankai ChenDepartment of Thoracic Surgery, National Cancer Center/National Clinical Research Center for Cancer/Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China.
Lei XuDepartment of Thoracic Surgery, National Cancer Center/National Clinical Research Center for Cancer/Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China.
Ruixiang ZhangDepartment of Thoracic Surgery, National Cancer Center/National Clinical Research Center for Cancer/Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China.
Xiaozheng KangDepartment of Thoracic Surgery, National Cancer Center/National Clinical Research Center for Cancer/Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China.
Xiufeng WeiDepartment of Thoracic Surgery, Chuiyangliu Hospital Affiliated to Tsinghua University, Beijing, China.
Yafan YangDepartment of Thoracic Surgery, National Cancer Center/National Clinical Research Center for Cancer/Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China.
Yin LiDepartment of Thoracic Surgery, National Cancer Center/National Clinical Research Center for Cancer/Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China.
Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College · CNBeijing Chuiyangliu Hospital · CN

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundBody weight loss (BWL) following esophagectomy is a common complication in esophageal cancer (EC) which represents a deterioration in quality of life (QoL) and poor long-term prognosis. A pilot randomized controlled study was initiated to evaluate the feasibility, safety, and efficacy of a short-term oral nutritional supplementation (ONS) on postoperative BWL and QoL in patients undergoing esophagectomy.

methodsPatients enrolled in this study were randomly divided into two different groups: the intervention group which received oral nutritional intervention (300 mL/day for 4 weeks) and the control group which received standard diet alone. Participants were assessed at discharge and 1, 3, and 6 months following discharge for BWL and QoL. At the same time, the data of clinical baseline characteristics, nutrition-related complications, and feasibility were prospectively collected and analyzed.

resultsA total of 77 patients were enrolled in this study. However, owing to severe postoperative complications and discontinuation of the program, 33 participants in the ONS group and 31 participants in the control group were eligible for final analysis of body weight change and QoL. Significant differences in percentage of BWL (%BWL) between the two groups were discovered at 3 and 6 months follow-up: participants in the ONS group had lower %BWL than those in the control group (P=0.024; P=0.025, respectively). There were significant differences in body mass index (BMI) loss between the two groups. At 1 month, QoL was significantly improved in the ONS group (P=0.031); however, no differences of QoL were noticed at 3 and 6 months. Compared with the control group, ONS improved the physical function and role function and eased the symptom of fatigue (P=0.014, P=0.030, and P=0.008, respectively). It was also noted that ONS increased the nutrition-related complications compared to the standard diet (50%

conclusionsThis pilot study indicated that addition of ONS was feasible, safe, and might prevent the loss of body weight and BMI and have a positive impact on the QoL in esophagectomy patients. The effectiveness of ONS requires further confirmation in an appropriately powered study.

trial registrationChinese Clinical Trial Registry ChiCTR2100045303.

Indexed as

early oral feedingMcKeown minimally invasive esophagectomyOral nutritional supplementation (ONS)standard diet

Identifiers

PMID34988183
PMCPMC8667108
OpenAlexW3213509318

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

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.