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Nutritional Assessment in Cancer Patients

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Therapeutic Approaches in Cancer Treatment

Part of the book series: Cancer Treatment and Research ((CTAR,volume 185))

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Abstract

Malnutrition in cancer patients is highly prevalent. The metabolic and physiologic changes associated with the disease and the side effects of treatment regimens all combine together to produce a detrimental effect on the patient’s nutritional status. A poor nutritional status significantly reduces the efficacy of treatment methods and the patient’s overall chances of survival. Therefore, an individualized nutrition care plan is essential to counter malnutrition in cancer. Nutritional assessment is the first step of this process which sets the foundation for developing an effective intervention plan. Currently, there is no single standard method for nutritional assessment in cancer. Hence, to get a true picture of the patient’s nutritional state, a comprehensive analysis of all aspects of the patient’s nutritional status is the only reliable strategy. The assessment includes anthropometric measurements and evaluation of body protein status, body fat, inflammation markers, and immune markers. A thorough clinical examination which factors in the medical history and physical signs, along with the dietary intake patterns of the patient, is also important components of nutritional assessment of cancer patients. To facilitate with the process, various nutritional screening tools like patient-generated subjective global assessment (PGSGA), nutrition risk screening (NRS), and malnutrition screening tool (MST) have been developed. While these tools have their own benefits, they only give a glimpse of the nutritional problems and do not bypass the need for a complete assessment employing various methods. This chapter covers all four of the elements of nutritional assessment for cancer patients in detail.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Diet and Nutritional Sciences, Ibadat International University, Islamabad, Pakistan

    Muhammad Naveed Sheas, Syeda Ramsha Ali & Amna Hameed

  2. Faculty of Medicine and Allied Health Sciences, Islamia University, Bahawalpur, Pakistan

    Muhammad Naveed Sheas

  3. Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Medical Sciences, Rawalpindi, Pakistan

    Waseem Safdar, Saeed Ahmed & Asma Saleem Qazi

  4. Department of Food Sciences, University of the Punjab, Quid-i-Azam Campus, Lahore, Pakistan

    Muhammad Rizwan Tariq

  5. Multan College of Food and Nutritional Sciences, Multan Medical and Dental College, Multan, Pakistan

    Naveed Ahmad

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  1. Muhammad Naveed Sheas
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Correspondence to Waseem Safdar .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Medical Sciences, Rawalpindi, Pakistan

    Asma Saleem Qazi

  2. Respiratory Medicine, Castle Hill Hospital, Cottingham, UK

    Kanwal Tariq

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Sheas, M.N. et al. (2023). Nutritional Assessment in Cancer Patients. In: Qazi, A.S., Tariq, K. (eds) Therapeutic Approaches in Cancer Treatment. Cancer Treatment and Research, vol 185. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-27156-4_14

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-27156-4_14

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

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  • Online ISBN: 978-3-031-27156-4

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