Malnutrition in Cancer Patients: A Critical Issue Requiring Medical Nutrition

Strategic Insights -

Malnutrition is a major concern in cancer treatment, affecting one-third of patients, leading to treatment delays, poorer outcomes, and increased healthcare costs. At the ESPEN 2025 congress, Nutricia highlighted the importance of medical nutrition in addressing malnutrition, improving treatment outcomes, and enhancing quality of life. Despite established guidelines, nutritional screening and care remain inconsistent, leaving many patients without access to essential nutritional interventions. By early initiation of medical nutrition, patients can maintain weight, muscle mass, and treatment tolerance, reducing complications and hospital stays.

Key Takeaways:

  • One in three patients with cancer reports treatment delays or interruptions due to weight loss.
  • Malnutrition is a driver of poorer treatment outcomes, quality of life, and increased healthcare costs.
  • 85% of patients report that medical nutrition supported them throughout treatment.
  • Early initiation of medical nutrition is shown to support treatment outcomes, yet the majority of patients who need it never receive it.
  • Nutricia joins the healthcare community at ESPEN 2025 to advance cancer care, highlighting the transformative potential of medical nutrition.
  • Multidisciplinary teams are crucial to ensuring adequate nutritional care, including early access to medical nutrition.
  • A large-scale clinical trial conducted by Nutricia showed that high-protein, omega-3-enriched oral nutritional supplements effectively met patients' nutritional needs.
  • Patients with cancer require up to twice as much protein as healthy individuals, yet less than half meet their protein needs.
  • Nutricia supports patients who are malnourished due to cancer, providing science-based medical nutrition through its Fortimel and Nutrison ranges.

Statistics:

  • 1 in 3 patients with cancer report treatment delays or interruptions due to weight loss.
  • 85% of patients report that medical nutrition supported them throughout treatment.
  • Patients with cancer require up to twice as much protein as healthy individuals.
  • Less than half of patients meet their protein needs.
  • Seven abstracts presented by Nutricia at ESPEN further build on the evidence of medical nutrition in supporting patient outcomes during cancer treatment.

Sources:

  • Blanchard et al., Support Care Cancer. 2024;32(1):S434 [1]
  • Bargetzi et al. 2021 Ann Oncol; 32(8):1025-1033; Orsso et al. 2024 Am J Clin Nutr;120(6):1311-1324; Caccialanza et al. 2022 Support Care Cancer; 30(11):9667-9679 [2]
  • Planas et al. 2015 Support Care Cancer, 24, 429-435; Dijksterhuis et al. J Natl Compr Canc Netw 2021; 19(2):144-152; Blanchard et al.,Clin Nutr ESPEN. 2024;64P1012 [3]
  • Cereda E, et al. Nutritional Radiother Oncol. 2018;126(1):81-88; Tan S, et al. Clin Nutr. 2021;40(1):47-53; Meng Q, et al. Clin Nutr. 2021;40(1):40-46 [4]
  • Grupinska J, et al. Nutrients. 2021;13(10):3549; Cereda E, et al. Nutritional Radiother Oncol. 2018;126(1):81-88; Tan S, et al. Clin Nutr. 2021;40(1):47-53; Meng Q, et al. Clin Nutr. 2021;40(1):40-46 [5]
  • ESPEN25-LB-2822 [6]
  • Prado S, et al. 2012 Can J Diet Pract. 73(4):e298-303; McCurdy B, et al. Nutrients. 2019;11(11):2473; Stobaus N, et al. Nutr Cancer. 2015;67(5):818 [7]
  • Fortimel and Nutrison products are foods for special medical purposes and must be used under medical supervision. Source: Nutricia [8]