Embedding Nutrition into Routine Oncology Care: About Time?

Summary:

Nutrition plays a vital role in supporting people through cancer treatment, yet it is often overlooked. This review emphasizes the importance of integrating nutrition early and routinely into compassionate, high-quality oncology care.

Key Takeaways:

• Nutrition directly affects cancer outcomes but remains nonroutine in oncology care. 
• Malnutrition is common and often overlooked, impacting treatment tolerance and quality of life. 
• Early, proactive nutrition care should be standard, not an afterthought.

Related Questions & Answers

• Why is nutrition important in cancer care?
  Nutrition affects treatment tolerance, recovery, quality of life, and survival, making it a critical part of effective cancer care, not just supportive care.
• Why is malnutrition often missed in oncology?
  Malnutrition is frequently underrecognized due to limited routine screening, time constraints in clinics, and the misconception that nutrition issues only arise late in disease.
• What does the paper call for changing?
  The authors call for early, routine nutrition screening and for nutrition to be treated as a standard component of oncology care across the cancer journey.

References:

• Laird, B. J. A., Antonuzzo, L., Sánchez Cabrero, D., Esin, E., Froeling, F., Jordan, K., Kekez, D., Skipworth, R., Schooneman, M., Yalçın, Ş., Prado, C. M., & Muscaritoli, M. (2026). Embedding nutrition into routine oncology care: About time? Oncology Reviews, 20, 1639494. https://doi.org/10.3389/or.2026.1639494