🤝 When you need professional help

According to ESPEN, a specialist nutritional assessment is indicated when: you have lost more than 5% of your body weight in the last 3 months (or more than 10% in 6 months), you cannot maintain an adequate food intake for more than 7–10 consecutive days, you have severe symptoms that prevent you from eating (uncontrolled vomiting, difficulty swallowing, severe mucositis), or you are scheduled for major abdominal surgery.

A cancer dietitian can assess your current nutritional status, set up an individualised plan tailored to your treatment, recommend specific supplementation or enteral nutrition (through a tube), and monitor your progress. The Canadian Cancer Society recommends including the dietitian in the multidisciplinary cancer team from diagnosis, not only when problems arise.

In hospitals and cancer centers, clinical nutrition is provided by dietitians or nutritionists. There are also outpatient services, including at some cancer charities. If access to a specialist dietitian is not immediately available, your GP or oncologist can offer basic guidance and referrals. Do not let access barriers stop you from asking for help.

• ✓Loss of >5% of body weight in 3 months → urgent nutritional assessment
• ✓The cancer dietitian is part of the multidisciplinary treatment team
• ✓Enteral or parenteral nutrition may be needed in severe cases
• ✓Do not hesitate to ask for a referral if eating is a persistent problem