Nutritional management of patients with cancer improves nutritional and quality of life outcomes

As new anti-cancer therapies continue to evolve it is important that supportive care, including effective nutrition support, also improves to ensure best patient care and outcomes. Several sets of evidence-based nutritional management guidelines have been developed for patients with cancer. There is strong evidence to suggest that nutritional counselling by a dietitian and/or dietary supplementation is beneficial by improving nutritional status and quality of life in some patients with gastrointestinal and head and neck cancer. There is also some evidence to suggest that specialised supplements including omega-3 fatty acids and/or immunonutrition may be beneficial in particular patient groups. In order to provide early and appropriate nutrition intervention and improve patient outcomes, early and ongoing nutrition screening and assessment need to be implemented. As cancer care centres and treatments become available, it is important that evidence-based nutritional care is provided in order to achieve best patient outcomes.