Nutritional Status and Interventions for Patients with Cancer

Cancer is one of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality worldwide. The World Cancer Research Fund determined that dietary and nutritional conditions are modifiable risk factors for the development of several cancers and a predominant component of recovery and the effectiveness of treatments. Nutritional intervention is critical, but nutritional support is not widely accessible to all, highlighting nutritional risk and wasting. A multidisciplinary approach targeting nutrition is vital to improve the quality of care in oncology. Cachexia management remains a challenge in clinical practice, and malnutrition is accepted as a significant negative predictive and prognostic factor in all cancer patients. Metabolic interactions are important within tumors, and the mechanisms by which dietary factors might enhance or impair therapeutic interventions are key factors in unravelling the influence of nutrition on cellular and molecular processes in cancer.