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Review
. 2019 Nov 13:11:1758835919880084.
doi: 10.1177/1758835919880084. eCollection 2019.

From guidelines to clinical practice: a roadmap for oncologists for nutrition therapy for cancer patients

Maurizio Muscaritoli  1 , Jann Arends  2 , Matti Aapro  3
Affiliations
Review

From guidelines to clinical practice: a roadmap for oncologists for nutrition therapy for cancer patients

Maurizio Muscaritoli et al. Ther Adv Med Oncol. .

Abstract

Tackling malnutrition in cancer patients remains one of the most challenging tasks in clinical practice. Even though robust evidence exists stressing the role of nutritional status in relation to treatment outcome, its appropriate consideration in clinical practice is often lacking. In this review, we discuss the significance of nutritional status and of malnutrition for the cancer patient. Drawn from experience and from current recommendations of the European Society for Clinical Nutrition and Metabolism (ESPEN), we propose concrete and manageable steps to routinely incorporate nutritional aspects in today's oncological clinical practice.

Keywords: ESPEN guidelines; cachexia; clinical nutrition; malnutrition; nutritional status; oncology.

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflict of interest statement: The authors declare that there is no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.
Continuum of care for the cancer patient: the parallel pathway in oncology (developed from Muscaritoli et al.). Comprehensive treatment of the cancer patient requires next to the oncological therapeutic strategy a standardized concept for addressing nutritional needs. The respective strategies should be pursued in close collaboration with each other.
Figure 2.
Figure 2.
Tackling malnutrition in oncology as a multidisciplinary team approach.
Figure 3.
Figure 3.
Proposed treatment algorithm incorporating the nutritional status in oncology., *Food choices, fortifying foods, ONS. **Treatment of infections, stenosis, dysmotility, etc. GI, gastrointestinal; ONS, oral nutritional supplements; PEG, percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy; PICC, peripherally inserted central catheter.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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