Nutrition
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In elderly cancer patients tube feeding, via a nasogastric tube or a (percutaneous) gastrostomy may be an efficient way of nutritionally supporting patients with extreme anorexia or dysphagia caused by a head&neck tumor or with an oro-pharyngeal-esophageal mucositis due to radiation therapy and/or chemotherapy. There is no definite difference, with regard to the clinical benefit, between nasogastric and gastrostomy feeding. Both procedures achieve good results in allowing the proper completion of the oncologic therapy. Whether to use a nasogastric tube or a (percutaneous) gastrostomy and whether to perform the procedure prophylactically or a la demande is a matter of controversy and depends more on the policy of the single institution and preferences of the patients than on evidence-based results.
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There has been considerable interest in both clinical and preclinical research about the role of phytochemicals in the reduction of risk for cancer in humans. The aim of this study was to determine the antineoplastic effects of Chlorella pyrenoidosa in experimental breast cancer in vivo and in vitro. ⋯ This study is the first report on the antineoplastic effects of C. pyrenoidosa in experimental breast cancer in vivo and in vitro.
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The risk for malnutrition increases with age and presence of cancer, and it is particularly common in older cancer patients. A range of simple and validated nutrition screening tools can be used to identify malnutrition risk in cancer patients (e.g., Malnutrition Screening Tool, Mini Nutritional Assessment Short Form Revised, Nutrition Risk Screening, and the Malnutrition Universal Screening Tool). ⋯ Nutritional assessment is a comprehensive assessment of dietary intake, anthropometrics, and physical examination often conducted by dietitians or geriatricians after simple screening has identified at-risk patients. The result of nutritional screening, assessment and the associated care plans should be documented, and communicated, within and between care settings for best patient outcomes.
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The combination of age-related muscle loss (sarcopenia) and the diagnosis of cancer (and the onset of cachexia) is likely a metabolic challenge that skeletal muscle of older cancer patients is not prepared to handle. Albeit to a smaller extent than healthy older controls, the skeletal muscle of older cancer patients is still acutely anabolic to the provision of amino acids. To provide an anabolic stimulus to skeletal muscle during a time when it is susceptible to an advanced rate of breakdown due to cancer- and tumor-related factors, enhanced intake of protein and amino acid sources might be necessary and should likely be higher than the current US recommended daily intake of 0.8 g protein/kg body weight/day. Future studies should investigate whether the acute effects of amino acids on muscle protein anabolism can be sustained over a longer period of time in the presence of cancer cachexia in older patients.
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To assess the energy expenditure of women with breast cancer and the effectiveness of available predictive equations (PEs) for the estimation of energy requirements in these subjects. ⋯ The REE of women with breast cancer was similar to that of healthy women. The energy requirements of these patients may be calculated based on the quick formula of 25 kcal/kg of BW. Nonetheless, this estimation should be used cautiously as it results in wide variations when used alone.