Journal of Capital Medical University ›› 2020, Vol. 41 ›› Issue (6): 1019-1024.doi: 10.3969/j.issn.1006-7795.2020.06.027

• Review • Previous Articles     Next Articles

Immunonutrition improves the prognosis of patients with cancer

Wang Xin1, Zhang Junxuan2, Gao Jian3, Shi Hanping1,3*   

  1. 1. Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, Beijing Shijitan Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100038, China;
    2. Department of Gastroenterology, Second Clinical College, Chengde Medical College, Chengde 067000, Hebei Province, China;
    3. Department of Clinical Nutrition, Beijing Shijitan Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100038, China
  • Received:2020-07-02 Online:2020-12-21 Published:2021-01-18
  • Contact: * E-mail:shihp@ccum.edu.cn
  • Supported by:
    National Natural Science Foundation of China (81672888), National Key Research and Development Program of China (2017YFC1309200).

Abstract: At present, nutritional support is no longer an adjuvant treatment for cancer, but a first-line treatment that can improve the prognosis of patients and prolong their lifespan. Many studies believe that nutrients not only provide patients with the essential energy, but some nutritional preparations can inhibit tumor cells and prevent carcinogenesis by regulating immunity. However, the mechanism is not entirely clear. This review closely followed the theme of “tumor immunity” and list some examples of successful nutritional treatments, such as diet patterns, amino acids, omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids, trace elements, vitamins, dietary fiber, and probiotics, etc. This review also analyzed that nutrients affect the growth, differentiation, autophagy, apoptosis of tumors by regulating the body's immunity. The term “immune nutrition” allows us to consider the concept of a dietary immune index for better designing and optimizing the combination and efficacy of dietary immune modulators, and thus to provide a new direction to explore the new dietary components and mechanisms of immune regulation.

Key words: nutrition, diet, tumor immunity, prognosis, cancer risk, dietary inflammation index

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