“Nutrition is fundamental in cancer care, and yet up to 85% of patients undergoing cancer treatment are malnourished”

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Cancer-related malnutrition includes unintentional weight loss, muscle wasting (sarcopenia) and micronutrient deficiencies, and often progresses to cancer cachexia, a complex metabolic syndrome characterized by systemic inflammation, reduced appetite and loss of skeletal muscle mass.”

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“Malnutrition in patients with cancer often leads to weakened immune function, which in turn exacerbates treatment complications and reduces patients’ ability to tolerate and complete potentially life-prolonging therapies.”

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“Consequently, malnourished patients with cancer are significantly more likely to develop severe treatment toxicities, experience treatment delays and dose reductions, and have increased rates of unplanned hospitalizations, longer hospital stays, impaired physical function, diminished quality of life and reduced survival.”

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“Despite clear clinical guidelines recommending routine nutrition screening and early intervention, systematic screening and referral processes are inconsistently implemented….”

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F.F.Zhang

Food is medicine: an opportunity to transform nutrition care in oncology

Nature Medicine — Volume 32 #9 — September 2026 — page 3112