There is significant impairment of immune competence in the patients with weight loss even if the degree of weight loss is not so marked as that of those patients with protein-calorie malnutrition. In cancer patients, there is significant correlation between the presence of weight loss and the impaired reactivity to DNCB, as in the patients with non-neoplastic disease, furthermore, this relationship is supplemented by the fact that the absolute T-lymphocyte count is significantly lower in cancer patients with concomitant weight loss than that of normal subjects. As the recommendation for the patient with malnutrition, protein repletion by intravenous feeding or other means should be highly considered in cancer patients with weight loss who were scheduled to undergo operation, to improve their immunocompetence and to decrease the possible chance of malignant cell metastasis.
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