DOI: 10.36347/sajb.2020.v08i04.004

Pages: 92-96

Clinical studies show that nutritional intervention is effective to prevent malnutrition in cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy and/ or radiotherapy. The objective of the present study was to assess the value of counselling by a dietitian compared to standard nutritional care. A cross-sectional study, conducted between 2015 and 2017, compared individual dietary counselling, BMI, and nutritional status. Endpoints were weight loss, BMI and malnutrition. Only (52%) of the subjects had normal BMI. When comparing nutritional status of the subjects according to nutritional counselling provider; subjects who receive their special diet counselling for cancer from dietitians had better nutritional status than those who receive standard medical care. Therefore, early and intensive individualised dietary counselling by a dietitian produces clinically relevant effects in terms of decreasing weight loss and malnutrition compared with standard medical care in cancer patients.