Why We Should Look at Dinner Plates: Diet Changes in Cancer Patients
Objective: Malnutrition is often underestimated in the context of cancer therapy: the dietary trends initiated by patients after diagnosis are usually neither known to nor evaluated by the medical staff. Here, we propose a combined screening instrument evaluating malnutrition and dietary trends. Met...
| Main Authors: | , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2023-02-01
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| Series: | Current Oncology |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/1718-7729/30/3/205 |
| _version_ | 1797612469919678464 |
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| author | Katja Döring Lara Wiechers Jens Büntzel Judith Büntzel |
| author_facet | Katja Döring Lara Wiechers Jens Büntzel Judith Büntzel |
| author_sort | Katja Döring |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Objective: Malnutrition is often underestimated in the context of cancer therapy: the dietary trends initiated by patients after diagnosis are usually neither known to nor evaluated by the medical staff. Here, we propose a combined screening instrument evaluating malnutrition and dietary trends. Methods: The validated screening tool NRS-2002 was combined with a four-item questionnaire assessing whether (1) patients preferred certain foods, (2) avoided certain foods, (3) used dietary supplements or followed a special diet since the time of cancer diagnosis. The screening tool was routinely used by cancer patients in the daily practice of three oncological departments. The presented analysis was performed retrospectively and anonymized. Results: Overall, 102 cancer patients undergoing systemic therapy (CP), 97 undergoing radiation therapy (RP), and 36 head–neck cancer patients (HNP) were screened. The CP cohort showed a higher rate of malnutrition (50.00%) than the HNP (28.13%) or RP (26.80%) cohort. Overall, diet changes were observed in 33.63% of all patients. Avoiding meat, stimulants, or hard and edgy food was often mentioned in free text answers, while patients reported a preference for fruit and vegetables. Nutritional supplements were used by 28.76% of the patients. While dietary changes were common, only 6.64% of the patients mentioned adhering to a specific cancer diet. Conclusion: Malnutrition is still underestimated nowadays. Diet trends, especially avoiding certain foods, are common in cancer patients, while adhering to a specific cancer diet is an exception. Diet trends should be assessed and addressed to avoid or aggravate malnutrition. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-11T06:41:41Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-4c62448dee004d2489462d2da119849d |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1198-0052 1718-7729 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-11T06:41:41Z |
| publishDate | 2023-02-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Current Oncology |
| spelling | doaj.art-4c62448dee004d2489462d2da119849d2023-11-17T10:30:41ZengMDPI AGCurrent Oncology1198-00521718-77292023-02-013032715272810.3390/curroncol30030205Why We Should Look at Dinner Plates: Diet Changes in Cancer PatientsKatja Döring0Lara Wiechers1Jens Büntzel2Judith Büntzel3Institute for Diagnostic and Interventional Neuroradiology, Hannover Medical School, 30625 Hannover, GermanyDepartment of Radiation Therapy and Radiation Oncology, University Hospital Göttingen, 37075 Göttingen, GermanyDepartment of Otolaryngology, Head Neck Surgery, Südharz Hospital, 99734 Nordhausen, GermanyDepartment of Hematology and Medical Oncology, University Hospital, Robert-Koch-Straße 40, 37075 Göttingen, GermanyObjective: Malnutrition is often underestimated in the context of cancer therapy: the dietary trends initiated by patients after diagnosis are usually neither known to nor evaluated by the medical staff. Here, we propose a combined screening instrument evaluating malnutrition and dietary trends. Methods: The validated screening tool NRS-2002 was combined with a four-item questionnaire assessing whether (1) patients preferred certain foods, (2) avoided certain foods, (3) used dietary supplements or followed a special diet since the time of cancer diagnosis. The screening tool was routinely used by cancer patients in the daily practice of three oncological departments. The presented analysis was performed retrospectively and anonymized. Results: Overall, 102 cancer patients undergoing systemic therapy (CP), 97 undergoing radiation therapy (RP), and 36 head–neck cancer patients (HNP) were screened. The CP cohort showed a higher rate of malnutrition (50.00%) than the HNP (28.13%) or RP (26.80%) cohort. Overall, diet changes were observed in 33.63% of all patients. Avoiding meat, stimulants, or hard and edgy food was often mentioned in free text answers, while patients reported a preference for fruit and vegetables. Nutritional supplements were used by 28.76% of the patients. While dietary changes were common, only 6.64% of the patients mentioned adhering to a specific cancer diet. Conclusion: Malnutrition is still underestimated nowadays. Diet trends, especially avoiding certain foods, are common in cancer patients, while adhering to a specific cancer diet is an exception. Diet trends should be assessed and addressed to avoid or aggravate malnutrition.https://www.mdpi.com/1718-7729/30/3/205malnutritionbody mass indexprognosisscreening tooldietary changes |
| spellingShingle | Katja Döring Lara Wiechers Jens Büntzel Judith Büntzel Why We Should Look at Dinner Plates: Diet Changes in Cancer Patients Current Oncology malnutrition body mass index prognosis screening tool dietary changes |
| title | Why We Should Look at Dinner Plates: Diet Changes in Cancer Patients |
| title_full | Why We Should Look at Dinner Plates: Diet Changes in Cancer Patients |
| title_fullStr | Why We Should Look at Dinner Plates: Diet Changes in Cancer Patients |
| title_full_unstemmed | Why We Should Look at Dinner Plates: Diet Changes in Cancer Patients |
| title_short | Why We Should Look at Dinner Plates: Diet Changes in Cancer Patients |
| title_sort | why we should look at dinner plates diet changes in cancer patients |
| topic | malnutrition body mass index prognosis screening tool dietary changes |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/1718-7729/30/3/205 |
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