Assessment of upper gastrointestinal motility in the cancer-associated dyspepsia syndrome.

Cancer patients experience many gastrointestinal symptoms which may lead to weight loss. Assessment of gastrointestinal motility may contribute to our understanding of these symptoms and suggest rational therapeutic approaches to the anorexia-cachexia syndrome. We have evaluated a simple, inexpensive, well-tolerated test of upper gastrointestinal motility in patients with advanced cancer. One-centimetre portions of radiopaque nasogastric tubing were ingested with food. Six hours later, a flat-plate abdominal x-ray was obtained to determine the marker placement. Patients were evaluated for gastrointestinal symptoms. Those with more symptoms, particularly early satiety, had a greater incidence of reduced upper gastrointestinal motility.