To investigate the effect of oral nutritional supplements(ONS) on body weight loss and life quality in post-discharge patients with gastric and colorectal cancer.

All the enrolled post-operative gastric or colorectal cancer patients were randomly divided into ONS group and control group. Body weight loss, middle arm circumference, triceps skinfold thickness and right-hand grip strength were measured and the Karnofsky score, ECOG score and QOL score were calculated 3 months after the discharge.

The body weight loss of gastric cancer patients was lower in ONS group than in control group since 2 months after discharge.(2 months after discharge: 1.65±2.11vs. 2.70±1.90 kg, t=-2.385 3, P=0.019 3; 3 months after discharge: 1.95±2.75vs. 3.67±2.29 kg, t=-3.134 7, P=0.002 4), There was no difference of body weight loss between two groups in colorectal cancer patients. The middle arm circumference, triceps skinfold thicknessand right-hand grip strength showed no statistic difference between two groups both in gastric and colorectal cancer patients. The Karnofsky score(56.82±13.65%vs. 51.71±9.72%, t=2.014 8, P=0.047 2) and QOL score(41.91±6.92 vs. 38.39±8.77, t=2.059 7, P=0.042 6) were higher in ONS group than in control group in gastric cancer patients. While all 3 types of scores had no difference between two groups in colorectal cancer patients.

ONS can efficiently reduce the body weight loss and improve the performance status and life qualityin post-discharge gastric cancer patients, but not in colorectal cancer patients.

Oral nutritional supplement; Gastric malignancy; Colorectal malignancy