Nutrition and Cancer

Nutrition & Cancer:

Patient Scenario: Let’s imagine that you are working at a hospice community outreach center as a clinical nutrition aide and the supervising RD asks you to prepare a preliminary nutrition assessment on a stage 4 colon cancer patient. The patient has experienced severe weight loss (more than 20% weight loss) and is suffering from N/V/D (nausea/vomiting/diarrhea) due to the extensive chemotherapy, radiation, and surgical resection of part of his colon. The nursing notes reveal the patient is unable to tolerate his meals (bland/soft diet). He also has difficulty tolerating clear liquids when taking his medication.

Colon Cancer & Nutrition Considerations

• Why does extensive chemotherapy, radiation and colon resection (surgery where part of the diseased colon tissue is removed) often lead to such serious negative nutritional outcomes?
• What nutrition therapy options are available to patients with these types of nutrition complications?

Colon Cancer & Nutrition Intervention

• Explain which nutrition therapy method would you suggest for the above patient scenario and why? (specialized oral diet, enteral nutrition, or parenteral nutrition)
• What other considerations need to be made before making the nutrition therapy recommendation to the supervising dietitian and Physician? (consider ethical aspects, family wishes, overall medical prognosis etc.).