Supportive nutrition to prevent cachexia and improve quality of life

Abstract

Nutritional care of cancer patients should always be considered supportive, whether the oncologic aim is cure or palliation. The goals of nutritional care are to support nutritional status, body composition, functional status, and quality of life. Proactive nutritional assessment and early intervention are the cornerstones of success. Failure to address nutrition is associated with longer hospital stays, increased risk of complication and death, and higher health care costs. Supportive nutritional intervention mandates standardized, cost-efficient assessment and aggressive symptom management. The latter includes nutrition-impact symptoms along the entire gastrointestinal tract, sensory changes, psychologic distress, pain, and anorexia. Components of pharmacologic and behavioral intervention are discussed in the context of supportive nutrition of the patient with cancer.