Pancreatic enzyme replacement therapy for steatorrhoea in pancreatic cancer

To evaluate the efficacy of PERT for the treatment of steatorrhoea in people with pancreatic cancer by accessing whether it:

  1. reduces the severity and duration of common symptoms, including fatty (greasy or oily appearance and residue), foul-smelling, pale-coloured, and heavy stools (bulky and difficult-to-flush), which are usually associated with weight loss and nutritional deficiencies as a result of fat malabsorption and the concomitant malabsorption of amino acids and vitamins, and abdominal pain or cramps (Cheifetz 2011; Kasper 2015);
  2. is an acceptable treatment, as assessed by the number of side effects/adverse events, study dropout rates, and participant satisfaction levels;
  3. has an impact on chemotherapy adherence;
  4. has an impact on postoperative outcomes.

This is a protocol.

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