Nurse-Led Walk-and-Eat Intervention May Improve Outcomes for Patients With Esophageal Cancer

the Oncology Nurse Advisor take:

A nurse-led walk-and-eat intervention is feasible and effective to preserve functional walking capacity and nutritional status in patients with esophageal cancer undergoing neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy, according to a recent study published in the journal The Oncologist.

For the study, researchers at National Taiwan University in Taipei, Taiwan, sought to evaluate the impact of a walk-and-eat intervention in patients with locally advanced esophageal cancer stage 2B or higher receiving neoadjuvant chemotherapy and radiation. A total of 59 participants were randomly assigned to receive the intervention, which involved nurse-supervised walking 3 times per week and weekly nutritional advice, or usual care during 4 to 5 weeks of chemoradiotherapy.

Results showed that those who received the intervention had a 100-meter less decline in walk distance than control patients, 3-kg less decrease in hand-grip strength, and 2.7-kg less reduction in body weight. Researchers found that the patients’ age did not impact these endpoints.

The study also demonstrated that patients that received the walk-and-eat intervention had significantly lower rates of need for intravenous nutritional support and wheelchair use.

“Nurses can implement this intervention in radiation oncology departments, provided physician and nursing leadership cooperate to achieve compliance with the protocols,” the authors suggest.