Nutritional advice in oncology

Introduction: Cancer is the main cause of death in Spain and is therefore a priority health problem. It is known that nutrition is associated with the incidence of cancer and can also be an important factor for treatment. It is essential to give the role nutrition it deserves, to perform optimal treatment of disease and maximize the chance of cure. Aim: evaluate the suitability and prevalence of nutritional advice given on cancer in different institutes in Spain. Methods: A descriptive, observational, retrospective study. Was performed using a questionnaire Ad hoc on one incidental sample in patients with cancer from 3 regions from Spain. The variables studied were focused on information about their nutritional treatment, their social and health characteristics, as well as intervention and progress of each participant. Results: The study sample of 17 patients with difference types of cancer, who underwent surgery, chemotherapy, radiotherapy and/or hormone therapy. Ten of them had effects and only 2 participants received appropriate advice for symptoms. From the sample, 82.35% had not previous nutritional assessment, only 5.88% was the exclusive nutritional consultant and only 29.41 % received any general food advices. Discussion: The effectiveness of nutritional recommendations on the development and quality of life of cancer patients has been demonstrated by several studies. Malnutrition and weight loss are common problems in these patients and can cause complications during illness. It is therefore very important to assess correctly the nutritional status of the patient in order to make timely nutrition intervention, adapted to needs, likes and symptomatology. Which is mostly not identified in our sample. Conclusion: The assessment, treatment and monitoring of nutritional status is very important to cancer patients. But it is itself a complex job that requires much time and dedication, and that must be manage by specialized teams of nutrition with a high training in oncology.