title: Gaps in nutritional research among older adults with cancer.
abstract: Nutritional issues among older adults with cancer are an understudied area of research despite significant prognostic implications for treatment side effects, cancer-specific mortality, and overall survival. In May of 2015, the National Cancer Institute and the National Institute on Aging co-sponsored a conference focused on future directions in geriatric oncology research. Nutritional research among older adults with cancer was highlighted as a major area of concern as most nutritional cancer research has been conducted among younger adults, with limited evidence to guide the care of nutritional issues among older adults with cancer. Cancer diagnoses among older adults are increasing, and the care of the older adult with cancer is complicated due to multimorbidity, heterogeneous functional status, polypharmacy, deficits in cognitive and mental health, and several other non-cancer factors. Due to this complexity, nutritional needs are dynamic, multifaceted, and dependent on the clinical scenario. This manuscript outlines the proceedings of this conference including knowledge gaps and recommendations for future nutritional research among older adults with cancer. Three common clinical scenarios encountered by oncologists include (1) weight loss during anti-cancer therapy, (2) malnutrition during advanced disease, and (3) obesity during survivorship. In this manuscript, we provide a brief overview of relevant cancer literature within these three areas, knowledge gaps that exist, and recommendations for future research.
authors.affiliation: Yale Cancer Center/Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA. Electronic address: carolyn.presley@yale.edu.
authors.forename: Carolyn J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Presley
authors.affiliation: Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
authors.forename: Efrat
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Dotan
authors.affiliation: Cancer Care in the Elderly Clinic, Department of Geriatrics, Instituto Nacional de Ciencias Médicas y Nutrición Salvador Zubirán, Mexico City, Mexico.
authors.forename: Enrique
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Soto-Perez-de-Celis
authors.affiliation: Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA.
authors.forename: Aminah
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Jatoi
authors.affiliation: James Wilmot Cancer Center at the University of Rochester, Rochester, NY, USA.
authors.forename: Supriya G
authors.initials: SG
authors.lastname: Mohile
authors.affiliation: Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA.
authors.forename: Elizabeth
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Won
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine,University Health Network and University of Toronto,Canada.
authors.forename: Shabbir
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Alibhai
authors.affiliation: Froedtert Clinical Cancer Center, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, USA.
authors.forename: Deepak
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Kilari
authors.affiliation: SCOREboard,University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY, USA.
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Harrison
authors.affiliation: Wake Forrest Baptist Comprehensive Cancer Center, Winston-Salem, NC, USA.
authors.forename: Heidi D
authors.initials: HD
authors.lastname: Klepin
authors.affiliation: Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA.
authors.forename: Tanya M
authors.initials: TM
authors.lastname: Wildes
authors.affiliation: James Wilmot Cancer Center at the University of Rochester, Rochester, NY, USA.
authors.forename: Karen
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Mustian
authors.affiliation: University of Alabama at Birmingham Comprehensive Cancer Center, Birmingham, AL, USA.
authors.forename: Wendy
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Demark-Wahnefried
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000073116:Cancer Survivors / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D015897:Comorbidity; D032921:Consensus; D005260:Female; D005853:Geriatrics / Q000592:standards; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008495:Medical Oncology / Q000592:standards; D054547:National Cancer Institute (U.S.); D054561:National Institute on Aging (U.S.); D009369:Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality* / Q000628:therapy; D015596:Nutrition Assessment; D009748:Nutrition Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D015995:Prevalence; D012106:Research / Q000592:standards*; D014481:United States
keywords: Cancer; Geriatrics; Nutrition; Older adults