Principles of nutritional therapy

Abstract

Provision of adequate nutrition makes a major contribution toward improvement of clinical, biochemical, cellular, and psychologic status of the cancer patient in the face of the disease process and the side effects of various treatments. The principles of nutrition support include the following: 1) Malnutrition induced by cancer and its treatment adversely affects the patient and complicates further treatment of the disease. 2) Malnutrition is not an obligatory response of the host to cancer. 3) A rational nutritional therapeutic program for a patient requires analysis of the factors inducing depletion in that patient. 4) Every patient should have an early and periodic assessment of nutritional status. 5) Nutrition therapy, when indicated, should be instituted early. 6) The application and effectiveness of therapeutic programs must become part of the medical audit and general clinical procedure for inpatients and outpatients. 7) The objectives of nutritional therapy are: a) supportive, b) adjunctive, and c) definitive. 8) Nutritional status, tumor growth and anti-tumor treatment are intimately related. 9) Nutritional therapy has the potential for difficulties as well as benefits. 10) The provision of optimal nutrition care requires a multidisciplinary approach with physicians, nurses, dietitians, and pharmacists working as a team with adequate laboratory facilities and administrative and financial support.