New Trends in nutritional status assessment in cancer patients

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This study is from the European review for Medical and Pharmacological Sciences. Cancer is currently the most frequent cause of morbidity and mortality in Europe. Often in cancer patients weight loss and nutritional status are a large concern for those on the team that takes care of a patient. The definition of malnutrition is stated as, " a subacute or chronic state of nutrition in which varying degrees of over or undernutrition and inflammation activity have lead to a change in the body composition and function." In cancer patients if there is severe malnutrition there are associated complications to treatment that are often seen. Cancer patients have also been noted to suffer from cachexia, " a complex metabolic syndrome associated with underlying illness and characterized by muscle loss with or without loss of fat." These two forms of malnutrition in general are the same thing with very similar effects on the patient. If the patient is suffering from a poor nutrition status the prognosis and treatment methods can be compromised. That is why assessing the patient for nutritional status along with the oncology team is very important in treating the patient.  The dietitian should be looking for the following:

  • Dietary Assessment- or food recall of daily diet that is being consumed
  • Physical Examination- muscle mass/ strength, evidence of liver disease, vitamin or mineral deficiency, to give classification of a well nourished to severely malnourished patient
  • Nutrition Index or Lab Values: protein protein undernutrition or protein-energy-undernutrition, found through serum albumin levels, anthropometrics 
  • Cancer Assessment: impact of tumor, nutrition status and anti-cancer treatments
The dietitians responsibility is to monitor and evaluate the patient based on these parameters to help maintain optimal nutritional status in the patient.This assessment should be used in ever anti-cancer treatment plan to reduce hospital stays along with increasing nutritional status. 
This article can be used as a guide for dietitians that need more advancement on assessing a cancer patient. 

LN

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