Intervenções nutricionais na prevenção e tratamento de pacientes oncológicos em nível ambulatorial

Abstract

Malnutrition in cancer patients (CPs) is frequent, particularly in cases of head and neck cancer, and cancer of the digestive tract, due the location of the tumors, which may prevent nutrient intake and absorption. Given the severity of cancer-related malnutrition, adequate food intake measures are required, especially in relation to the energy consumed by these patients. Nutritional interventions (NIs) should be initiated whenever current or expected nutritional risk is diagnosed, when patients should be referred to specialized CP nutritionists. The main approaches of the NIs are nutritional counseling, prescription of oral nutritional supplements, and enteral nutrition, to be determined and selected through nutritional screening and assessment. Different nutritional guidelines help professionals in the provision of nutritional support. The aim of the present study was to conduct a narrative literature review regarding the role of nutrition and the main means of nutritional intervention, which contribute to the prevention and treatment of cancer outpatients through a literary research in Portuguese and English using electronic resources. We concluded that nutritional interventions are imperative in cases of cancer-associated malnutrition, but further research is needed to determine the true role of food in the prevention of cancer.