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Background: Malnutrition in surgical patients is associated with delayed recovery, higher rates of morbidity and mortality, prolonged hospital stay, increased healthcare costs and a higher early re-admission rate. Methods: Data synthesis after review of pertinent literature. Results: The aetiology of malnutrition is multifactorial. In cancer patients, there is an abnormal peripheral glucose disposal, gluconeogenesis, and whole-body glucose turnover. Malnourished cancer patients undergoing major operations are at significant risk from perioperative complications such as infectious complications. Surgical aggression generates an inflammatory response which worsens intermediary metabolism. Conclusions: Nutritional evaluation and nutritional support must be performed in all surgical patients, in order to minimize infectious complications. Enteral nutrition early in the postoperative period is effective and well tolerated reducing infectious complications, improving wound healing and reducing length of hospital stay. Pharmaconutrition is indicated in those patients, who benefit from enteral administration of arginine, omega 3 and RNA, as well as parenteral glutamine supplementation. When proximal sutures are used, tubes allowing early jejunal feeding should be used.