CONTEXT AND OBJECTIVE: Tumor and its therapy have adverse effects on the nutritional status of cancer patients, leading to nutritional support. The aim was to study enteral nutrition indications, as well as its compliance and the impact on nutritional status.

DESIGN AND SETTING: Clinical trial, IOP, Unifesp-EPM.

METHODS: Patients older than 1 year followed during anticancer therapy were included from January 2002 to January 2004. They received industrialized oral supplementation - Nutren 1.0 or Jr (IOS) and were followed on a weekly basis and reevaluated on weeks 3, 8 and 12: at these times, if inadequate outcome was observed, tube feeding with the same supplement (TFR) was indicated.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Were on chemotherapy;
• Age above one year;
• Malnutrition;
• A z-score of weight for height (zW/H) < -1.0 to -2.0 in children and ≥ 5th to < 15th of body mass index (BMI) in adolescents were considered as mild malnutrition;
• A zW/H < -2.0 in children and < 5th of BMI in adolescents as severe, respectively;
• In adults, the World Health Organization (WHO) cut-off values were applied: < 18.5 mild and < 17 severe malnutrition.

Exclusion Criteria:

• Were on corticosteroid or hormonal therapy;
• Had swallowing abnormalities;
• Had parenteral or tube feeding therapy;
• Had palliative care;
• Presence of non cancer-related diseases.