Nutritional support of cancer patients with malnutrition

Malnutrition due to disease or its treatment is a common problem in patients with cancer. Ongoing assessment is essential to identify nutritional problems and to organize nutritional support. Nutritional support includes calories needed calculation, control of the content of food and choice of the nutritional route. Orally administered nutrition is recognized as the most effective route. However cancer patients often experience symptoms, as anorexia, nausea, vomiting and stomatitis, resulting in reduced oral intake. Enteral route is indicated in these cases. On the other hand, parental nutrition especially during terminal care raises essential research questions and ethical dilemmas. Nowadays it is argued that cancer cachexia is a multidimensional problem with physical, psychological, emotional and social consequences on patients. Nutritional support requires a multiprofessional health team where nurses play important roles.

Category: Volume 45, N 3
Hits: 508 Hits
Created Date: 15-09-2006
Authors: Stelios Katsaragakis , Elisabeth Patiraki