Malnutrition: The Hidden Impact of Malnutrition in Cancer Patients- Addressing a Critical Health Concern
Malnutrition poses a significant challenge for cancer patients, with research indicating that it affects a substantial percentage of individuals diagnosed with cancer.
In fact, malnutrition is linked to a higher risk of mortality, limited treatment options, reduced treatment response, increased toxicity,
prolonged hospital stays, and poorer prognosis.
Recognizing the urgency of this issue, healthcare professionals are emphasizing the importance of early screening, assessment,
and comprehensive nutritional support to mitigate the impact of malnutrition in cancer patients.
Screening for Malnutrition:
To address malnutrition effectively, the National Cancer Institute (NCI) advises cancer patients to undergo regular nutrition screening and assessment.
Several validated tools are available for this purpose, such as the Malnutrition Screening Tool, Patient-Generated Subjective Global Assessment, and NUTRISCORE.
By consistently assessing patients’ nutritional status before and during treatment, healthcare providers can identify early signs of malnutrition and take appropriate action.
Impact of Malnutrition:
Certain types of cancers, including upper gastrointestinal, head and neck, lung, hematologic, gynecologic, and colorectal cancers,
have a higher prevalence of malnutrition.
This underlines the need for heightened vigilance in these cases.
Even minimal weight loss prior to starting cancer treatment can negatively affect a patient’s prognosis, making early intervention crucial.
Additionally, cancer treatments often lead to side effects like nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, altered taste, and loss of appetite, further contributing to malnutrition.
It is vital to address these issues promptly to enhance patients’ overall well-being.
The Role of Registered Dietitians:
Patients identified as being at risk of malnutrition should be referred to registered dietitians (RDs) or registered dietitian nutritionists (RDNs) for comprehensive nutrition assessments.
These assessments involve evaluating muscle mass, subcutaneous fat, fluid accumulation, and nutritional deficiencies.
RDs play a crucial role in providing medical nutrition therapy, managing treatment-related symptoms, and proactively supporting patients in maintaining strength, healthy body tissue, and adequate energy and protein intake.
Collaborating with rehabilitation professionals can help prevent and treat sarcopenia, a condition characterized by the loss of skeletal muscle.
Cancer and cancer treatments may affect taste, smell, appetite, and the ability to eat enough food or absorb the nutrients from food. This can cause malnutrition, which is a condition caused by a lack of key nutrients.
Treating and Preventing Malnutrition:
Nutrition support is instrumental in improving cancer treatment outcomes and minimizing the adverse effects of therapies.
While cancer treatments often have catabolic effects on the body, proper nutrition helps rebuild the body, preparing it for subsequent treatment steps.
Research has demonstrated that nutritional interventions offer numerous benefits to cancer patients, including improved treatment completion rates,
reduced treatment-related toxicity, shorter hospital stays, enhanced survival, better quality of life, and improved physical function.
The Impact of Nutritional Interventions:
Studies have linked nutritional interventions to a range of positive outcomes in cancer patients.
By managing treatment-related symptoms, such as nausea and loss of appetite, and ensuring adequate nutrient intake,
patients can better tolerate treatment and experience improved quality of life.
Nutritional interventions also contribute to the preservation of lean body mass,
which is crucial for minimizing physical impairment, postoperative complications, treatment toxicity, and mortality rates.
With the guidance of RDs or RDNs, cancer patients can optimize their nutritional status and overall health.
Balancing malnutrition and cancer. Always balance the quantity of food with quality. Changing to small, frequent, nutrient-dense meals.
FINAL THOUGHT:
Malnutrition poses a significant challenge for cancer patients, affecting a large percentage of individuals and impacting treatment outcomes.
Through systematic screening, comprehensive nutritional assessments, and appropriate interventions,
healthcare professionals can effectively manage malnutrition in cancer patients.
By collaborating with registered dietitians and rehabilitation professionals, patients can receive tailored medical nutrition therapy,
which plays a crucial role in preserving lean body mass, managing treatment-related symptoms, and improving the overall quality of life.
It is imperative that early intervention becomes an integral part of cancer care to mitigate the detrimental effects of malnutrition and enhance patient outcomes.