
“I think it’s really important that people keep signing up to these type of trials to push research forward.”
This study looked into continuing to use a feeding tube into the small bowel for 6 weeks after major surgery to treat stomach cancer or food pipe cancer.
If you have cancer of the food pipe or cancer of the stomach, and have major surgery to treat this, you are likely to be fed afterwards through a tube into your small bowel. This is so your body can get the nutrition it needs until it is safe for you to eat and drink again. This type of feeding tube is called a jejunostomy.
This tube usually stays in place until you see your specialist about 4 to 6 weeks after your surgery. You stop using it before you leave hospital to help you get back to normal as quickly as possible. But it is common for people to lose weight while they are recovering from surgery and it takes time to adjust to a change in eating patterns.
Researchers in this study looked at continuing jejunostomy tube feeds for 6 weeks at home.
The aims of this study were to find out if
The study team found that continuing tube feeding at home was safe, possible and acceptable to patients and their carers.
54 people took part in this randomised study. After going home from hospital,
At the end of the 6 weeks and again at 3 months and 6 months the researchers looked at
They had the results for 41 people. The researchers found that
The study team interviewed 15 people who took part in the study. The main findings from the interviews were that most people
Although in some cases having a tube was troublesome and disrupted sleep.
The study team concluded that tube feeding at home helped people to put on weight after surgery for food pipe or stomach cancer. But they suggest that for home feeding to become part of usual care, it needs to be looked at in a larger study to find out more about cost.
We have based this summary on information from the research team. The information they sent us has been reviewed by independent specialists () and published in a medical journal. The figures we quote above were provided by the study team who did the research. We have not analysed the data ourselves.
Please note: In order to join a trial you will need to discuss it with your doctor, unless otherwise specified.
Mr David Bowrey
Miss Melanie Baker
NIHR Clinical Research Network: Cancer
NIHR Research for Patient Benefit (RfPB) Programme
University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust
Freephone 0808 800 4040
“I think it’s really important that people keep signing up to these type of trials to push research forward.”