Nutritional Aspects of Cancer Therapy

It is essential to be aware of the advances in the nutritional aspects of cancer for oncology practitioners. Unlike the popular myth, the term “Cachexia” more effectively defines the present status in oncology patients rather than “cancer-related malnutrition” (CRM). The consensus guidelines recommend the usage of management algorithm, staging of the CRM involving screening for the nutritional risk and also devising a management strategy consistent with a phenotype and the staging. There should be an inclusion of preventive measures for the CRM in the management algorithm like pharmacological and non-pharmacological interventions aiming both anabolic and the anti-catabolic measures as well as repeated checking of the status of Nutrition. At present, the multimodal mechanism is the optimum method to battle catabolic resulting in CRM. This method should be simultaneously given with anticancer treatments and involve pharmaconutrients, nutritional intervention and the multiple target drug treatments and physical activity. This article provides the practitioners with an awareness of the recent development in the area of nutritional care and as well as defined guidelines to regulate cancer therapy during treatment. This book chapter thus gives insightful guidelines pointing on crucial aspects of Nutrition for cancer treatment.

Keywords: Cachexia, Cancer Nutrition, Cancer-related Malnutrition, Dietary Restriction.