title: Dietary recommendations during and after cancer treatment: consistently inconsistent?
abstract: Recent data reveals that dietary factors may influence outcomes in patients undergoing cancer treatment. However, patient-centered information on dietary recommendations is limited. In this study, we assessed dietary recommendations for cancer patients during treatment and survivorship by evaluating the websites of all National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) member institutions. NCCN members were identified on www.nccn.org , and individual websites were reviewed for nutritional content. Recommendations were categorized by meal frequency, diet type, macronutrient content, and other specific recommendations. Twenty-one NCCN member institutions were identified. Only 4 sites (19%) provided nutritional guidelines. Half promoted a low-fat, high-carbohydrate diet recommending 5:1 and 7:1 ratios of carbohydrate to fat food types, and half promoted weight maintenance during treatment, endorsing a 1:1 ratio of carbohydrate to fat. One third of all NCCN sites (n = 7) had links to 9 external websites. Four external sites provided nutrition guidelines: half favored a low-fat, high-carbohydrate diet, and half favored high-caloric intake to maintain weight. Consistent online dietary recommendations are lacking for patients during and after cancer treatment. Given the lack of consensus on dietary recommendations, future research is warranted to develop evidenced-based guidelines that can be used by oncologists and patients alike.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiation Oncology, Kimmel Cancer Center and Jefferson Medical College of Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19107-215, USA. ColinChamp@gmail.com
authors.forename: Colin E
authors.initials: CE
authors.lastname: Champ
authors.forename: Mark V
authors.initials: MV
authors.lastname: Mishra
authors.forename: Timothy N
authors.initials: TN
authors.lastname: Showalter
authors.forename: Nitin
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Ohri
authors.forename: Adam P
authors.initials: AP
authors.lastname: Dicker
authors.forename: Nicole L
authors.initials: NL
authors.lastname: Simone
mesh_terms: D001835:Body Weight; D032921:Consensus; D004032:Diet; D004040:Dietary Carbohydrates / Q000008:administration & dosage; D004041:Dietary Fats / Q000008:administration & dosage; D002149:Energy Intake; D005247:Feeding Behavior; D006801:Humans; D007255:Information Services / Q000592:standards; D062407:Meals; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000628:therapy*; D018673:Nutrition Policy; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic
chemical_list: D004040:Dietary Carbohydrates; D004041:Dietary Fats