🌱 The role of nutrition in cancer treatment

Cancer treatment puts a significant strain on the body. Chemotherapy, radiotherapy and surgery increase the body's energy and protein needs. On top of this, common side effects — nausea, loss of appetite, mucositis — make it hard to keep up an adequate food intake. Without proper nutrition, the risk of clinical malnutrition rises, which can lead to treatment being interrupted or reduced.

According to the ESPEN Guidelines on Nutrition in Cancer Patients (2021), every cancer patient should be assessed nutritionally at diagnosis and throughout treatment. The Canadian Cancer Society recommends maintaining body weight and muscle mass as the main goals. Memorial Sloan Kettering emphasises that there is no proven "anti-cancer diet", but there are nutritional principles that support quality of life and tolerance to treatment.

The aim of cancer nutrition is not to radically change what you eat, but to give your body the resources it needs. Sometimes, a day when you managed to eat something — anything — is a good day. A gentle approach, adapted to how you feel, is more valuable than a strict regimen you cannot follow.

• ✓Nutrition supports tolerance to treatment and reduces complications
• ✓Every cancer patient should be assessed nutritionally at diagnosis
• ✓The goal is to support the body — not the perfect diet
• ✓Maintaining muscle mass and weight are important indicators