Intest Res.  2019 Oct;17(4):455-462. 10.5217/ir.2019.00076.

Nutritional issues in patients with cancer

• Kim DH

• KMID: 2465811
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.5217/ir.2019.00076

Abstract

Cancer is a catabolic inflammatory disease that causes patients to often experience weight loss, or even cachexia in severe cases. Undernourishment in patients with cancer impairs the quality of life and therapeutic response, further leading to poor prognosis. Active and frequent nutritional screening and assessment using valid tools are important for fast and appropriate nutritional intervention. Additionally, a suitable individualized nutritional intervention strategy should be established based on the nutritional assessment result. In general, nutritional intervention begins with nutritional counseling of patients diagnosed with cancer, and a well-planned nutritional counseling improves the treatment adherence and nutritional status. When planning nutritional supplementation for cancer patients, specific nutrients, including amino acids and fatty acids, should be considered. However, there has been no consistent result showing that any particular nutrient significantly improves the prognosis of cancer patients. Hence, continuous attention from clinical physicians is needed to plan nutritional improvement in patients with cancer.

Keyword

Neoplasms; Nutrition assessment; Nutrition therapy

MeSH Terms

Amino Acids
Cachexia
Counseling
Fatty Acids
Humans
Mass Screening
Nutrition Assessment
Nutrition Therapy
Nutritional Status
Prognosis
Quality of Life
Weight Loss
Amino Acids
Fatty Acids

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