ABSTRACT
Optimal nutrition for individuals diagnosed with cancer remains important as these individuals navigate the period following diagnosis. From the time of diagnosis, individuals will have unique nutritional challenges which may include underweight status, overweight, obesity, and malnutrition regardless of weight. It is important to optimize nutritional status and maintain a healthy weight in order to maximize quality of life and reduce risk of disease recurrence through a health dietary pattern. Dietary pattern is often more important to nutritional status than individual foods or food components. Because individuals are in different stages of survivorship, it is best to recommend a dietary and activity pattern consistent with epidemiological literature on cancer prevention, including maintaining a healthy weight, eating higher amounts of vegetables, fruits, legumes, whole grains, and limiting sugary drinks, red meat, processed meats, other processed foods, and alcohol. Dietary supplement use is becoming increasingly prevalent following a cancer diagnosis, with use motivated by multiple factors. While individual vitamins or multivitamin/multimineral supplements can have a role in contributing to the overall health of individuals with cancer, it is best to obtain nutrients from foods. Any confirmed biochemical or clinical micronutrient deficiency should be treated appropriately with supplementation. It is most important to have open dialog between healthcare providers and patients regarding supplement use, to ensure safe administration when indicated. Future research should further examine effective outcome measures by cancer type to better evaluate nutritional exposures and interventions, and the interactions of treatment exposures on nutritional factors.
