
Author(s) :
Ludovica Gandullia1, Irina Mihaela Cazacu2, Vlad Mihai Croitoru2, Paolo Gandullia3
1 Faculty of Medicine, Titu Maiorescu University, Bucharest, Romania
2 Department of Oncology, Fundeni Clinical Institute, Bucharest
3 Pediatric Gastroenterology and Endoscopy Unit, Integrated Department of Pediatric and Hemato-Oncological Sciences, IRCCS “G. Gaslini” Children’s Hospital, 16147 Genoa, Italy
Corresponding author: Ludovica Gandullia, Email: ludovicagandullia.lg@gmail.com
Publication History: Received - , Revised - , Accepted - , Published Online - .
Copyright: © The author(s). Published by Casa Cărții de Știință.
User License: Creative Commons Attribution – NonCommercial (CC BY-NC)
Abstract
Nutritional support is an essential part of cancer care. Malnutrition is a common feature in cancer patients and has a negative impact on the quality of life and treatment tolerance. Patients with digestive cancers are at higher risk of malnutrition due to the gastrointestinal impairment caused by their disease. However, most of them have insufficient access to nutritional support.
Early identification of patients at risk of malnutrition is crucial in order to start an adequate nutritional support. Robust evidence showed that nutritional support can reduce length of hospitalisation, decrease treatment-related toxicity, and improve quality of life and physical function. Nutritional intervention can improve outcomes and help patients in the successful completion of oncological treatments by preventing malnutrition. The aim of this review is to provide a comprehensive overview of nutritional interventions for patients with gastroesophageal cancers.