Effect of Feeding Jejunostomy on Sarcopenia in Patients With Esophageal Cancer

April 22, 2026 updated by: Stefan Gutknecht

Effect of Feeding Jejunostomy Placement on Sarcopenia in Patients With Advanced Stages of Esophageal Cancer in Curate Cancer Treatment

Participants were diagnosed with esophageal cancer needing chemo- or radiochemotherapy before the potentially curing surgery consisting of esophagectomy. At the time of diagnosis, in all participants, a laparoscopy to complete staging was performed. In some patients, a feeding jejunostomy tube (FJT) was placed at the time of staging laparoscopy; in others, the FJT was placed at the time of esophagectomy. A common risk factor for higher morbidity and mortality is sarcopenia, a condition associated with low skeletal muscle. This study aims to determine whether the timing of the FJT placement affects the progress of sarcopenia.

Study Overview

Status

Active, not recruiting

Conditions

Intervention / Treatment

Detailed Description

At the City Hospital Zurich Triemli, an FJT tube is inserted in approximately two-thirds of patients before commencing neoadjuvant therapy. Another third receive an FJT at the time of esophagectomy to ensure postoperative enteral feeding. To this day, no prospective, randomized study exists as to whether placing an FJT at diagnosis or esophagectomy impacts sarcopenia. Retrospectively collected data is limited due to small sample sizes and observational character.

This is a retrospective, single-center cohort study using disease-related data already collected. The study design includes statistical balancing techniques to achieve comparability between the two groups and estimate an unbiased treatment effect of the timing of FJT placement.

All data is extracted from the clinical information systems and radiological systems and is credible, protected data. It is taken exclusively from the medical records; patients are not contacted for data collection.

Study Type

Observational

Enrollment (Actual)

60

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Locations

  • Switzerland
      • Zurich, Switzerland, 8063
        • Stadtspital Zürich

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Ages Eligible for Study

  • Adult
  • Older Adult

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Sampling Method

Non-Probability Sample

Study Population

Patients treated between 2017 and 2024 in the single institution of the City Hospital Zürich Triemli and completed a 6-month follow-up or died by 31.12.2024.

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Adult patients aged 18 years and above at the time of diagnosis.
  • Advanced-stage esophageal cancer or cancer of the esophageal junction and treated with curative intent, including neoadjuvant treatment.
  • Patients who received an FJT either before neoadjuvant treatment or during definitive surgery.

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Insufficient data for analysis
  • Written rejection of general consent

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

Cohorts and Interventions

Group / Cohort
Intervention / Treatment
Patients with esophageal cancer receiving neoadjuvant therapy and an jejunal feeding tube

Included are:

  • Adult patients aged 18 years and above at the time of diagnosis.
  • Advanced-stage esophageal cancer or cancer of the esophageal junction and treated with curative intent, including neoadjuvant treatment.
  • Patients who received an FJT before neoadjuvant treatment or during definitive surgery.
  • Patients treated between 2017 and 2024 in the single institution of the City Hospital Zürich Triemli and completed 6 months of follow-up or died by 31.12.2024.

Patients receiving the FJT at staging laparoscopy will be compared to patients receiving FJT at the time of esophagectomy.
Procedure: Feeding jejunostomy placement
Placement of feeding jejunostomy at staging laparoscopy
Other Names:
  • Early placement of FJT
Procedure: Feeding jejunostomy placement at esophagectomy
Placement of feeding jejunostomy at esophagectomy
Other Names:
  • Late placement of FJT

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Quantification of the effect of timing of FJT placement on sarcopenia in patients with advanced stages of esophageal cancer in curative cancer treatment.
Time Frame: For each patient the investigated period is under one year. It starts with the time of diagnosis until approximately 6 months after esophagectomy.

This will be measured by the skeletal muscle index (SMI) at three points: the first SMI is measured at the time of diagnosis, the second preoperatively at re-staging after completion of neoadjuvant therapy, and the third measurement is six months postoperatively.

We expect that regular enteral feed through FJT during neoadjuvant therapy leads to higher SMI or less progress of sarcopenia compared to FJT placement at esophagectomy.
For each patient the investigated period is under one year. It starts with the time of diagnosis until approximately 6 months after esophagectomy.

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Major complications
Time Frame: For each patient the investigated period is under one year. It starts with the time of diagnosis until approximately 6 months after esophagectomy.
Classified according to Clavien-Dindo Classification and Comprehensive complication index, CCI.
For each patient the investigated period is under one year. It starts with the time of diagnosis until approximately 6 months after esophagectomy.
Overall length of stay
Time Frame: For each patient the investigated period is under one year. It starts with the time of diagnosis until approximately 6 months after esophagectomy.
The length of stay for esophagectomy and the overall length of hospital stay from diagnosis to six months postoperatively, excluding elective hospitalizations for radiotherapy.
For each patient the investigated period is under one year. It starts with the time of diagnosis until approximately 6 months after esophagectomy.

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Stefan Gutknecht

Investigators

  • Principal Investigator: Stefan Gutknecht, Dr. med., Stadtspital Zürich

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Actual)

November 30, 2024

Primary Completion (Actual)

January 31, 2025

Study Completion (Estimated)

June 30, 2026

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

November 26, 2024

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

November 26, 2024

First Posted (Actual)

December 2, 2024

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

April 23, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

April 22, 2026

Last Verified

April 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

  • BASEC 2024-01793

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

NO

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

product manufactured in and exported from the U.S.

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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