Host-tumor interaction and nutrient supply

Adequate parenteral nutritional support improves nutritional status in cancer patients, but its effect on tumor growth remains controversial. Using a transplantable mammary adenocarcinoma in a rat-TPN model, the relative effect of different exogenous intravenous nutrients on tumor growth and host maintenance was studied. Relative to chow controls, starvation increased host depletion without reducing tumor growth. Adequate carbohydrate calories...