Cancer affects millions worldwide, posing significant challenges for both patients and healthcare providers. Despite the critical role of nutrition at every stage of the cancer journey, many patients lack access to tailored dietary guidance from registered dietitians. This gap complicates their ability to make informed nutritional choices that could help address various symptoms, mitigate treatment side effects, and potentially enhance the efficacy of cancer therapies, ultimately improving their overall well-being.
How Nutrition Supports Cancer Patients
The cancer journey can be incredibly tough for patients as they navigate a variety of symptoms and treatment side effects. Nutrition plays a vital role in supporting them at every stage—from diagnosis and treatment to recovery and survivorship.
Malnutrition and sarcopenia, the progressive loss of muscle mass, are common among cancer patients. These conditions can weaken the immune system and lead to a significant decline in energy and strength, increasing the risk of infections and slowing recovery after treatment. Various cancer treatments—including surgery, chemotherapy, radiotherapy, immunotherapy, and hormone therapy—can trigger a range of side effects such as nausea, diarrhea, constipation, weight loss or gain, and others [1].
To address these challenges, a comprehensive nutritional care process is necessary. This process involves assessment, identifying energy and substrate requirements, implementing tailored nutrition interventions, and ongoing monitoring. It aims not only to provide sufficient energy and protein intake to withstand treatment but also to help the body manage side effects and improve overall quality of life during and after treatment [2].
The Impact of Tailored Nutrition on Treatment Outcomes
For individuals battling cancer, dietary strategies are not universal, they must be tailored to each patient based on their tumor biology and treatment plan. Genome instability - a key characteristic of cancer cells – results in genetic diversity among tumors, with each tumor possessing a unique set of mutations that influence its aggressiveness, growth rate, and response to treatment. Additionally, metabolic activities, preferred energy sources, and nutritional needs differ among cancer types.
Recent promising pre-clinical and clinical studies demonstrate how bespoke dietary modifications, when integrated with cancer therapies, can enhance treatment response [4].
By strategically restricting certain nutrients that tumors rely on, such as glucose or glutamine, personalized nutrition plan may effectively starve the cancer cells, inhibiting their growth. Additionally, limiting the intake of specific nutrients can enhance treatment effectiveness. For instance, reducing methionine intake can improve the efficacy of chemotherapy and radiation by targeting specific tumor growth pathways [5]. Nutrition can also stimulate the body’s immune response against cancer; both calorie restriction and ketogenic diet have been associated with an increase in cancer-fighting T cells [6, 7].
Conversely, adding certain nutrients can amplify the effects of anti-cancer drugs. Histidine supplementation, for example, has been shown to enhance the impact of methotrexate in leukemia [8]. Some nutrients, which are harmless to healthy cells, can even be toxic to cancer cells. For example, mannose, when combined with chemotherapy, can help slow pancreatic cancer growth [9].
Altogether, this underscores the necessity and promise of targeted nutritional interventions.
Addressing Global Health Inequities in Cancer Nutrition Care
Cancer remains one of the leading causes of mortality worldwide, with global statistics revealing 9.7 million deaths and nearly 20 million new cases in 2022 alone. Projections indicate that new cases could reach 35 million by 2050. While developed countries will experience the largest absolute increase in new cancer cases (42%), the highest relative growth (142%) is anticipated in low- and middle-income regions, driven by rising populations, demographic aging, and lifestyle shifts [10].
Even in developed nations, outpatient cancer centers often lack sufficient nutrition support to meet patient needs. Recent surveys indicate that many cancer patients do not receive nutritional counseling nor have access to a registered dietitian [11, 12]. These findings underscore the urgent need to enhance global access to comprehensive cancer care, including nutritional assessment, guidance, and support throughout the patient journey.
Efforts are underway to develop up-to-date cancer prevention recommendations [13] [14] and targeted guidance for specific cancers based on the latest peer-reviewed research [15]. In this work, for example, the World Cancer Research Fund and the American Institute for Cancer Research (WCRF/AICR) rely on findings from the Continuous Update Project (CUP), a systematic program that analyzes global investigations into nutritional intake and physical activity, and their influence on cancer risk and prognosis [16].
Another promising solution is the implementation of AI-powered nutrition assistants to help patients navigate the overwhelming landscape of cancer care information. These tools can identify the most appropriate dietary regimens based on individual medical histories, symptoms, treatment plans, and other clinical parameters. There are platforms that have been tested to provide tailored recommendations on foods to eat or avoid, tips for alleviating side effects, and customized recipes [17].
High-quality, transparent data is essential for the reliability and effectiveness of such AI tools. Clear and understandable AI decision-making processes are crucial to prevent inaccurate results and avoid worsening health conditions.
At Acoer, we specialize in delivering secure, trustworthy, and user-friendly ethical AI solutions for healthcare. Our approach addresses health inequity issues by leveraging our expertise in explainable AI and blockchain technology to embed transparency, ethics, and trust into our products, such as Cancer Trials AI Companion. By providing ethical data management and reliable insights, Acoer is committed to transforming healthcare through technology that empowers both patients and providers worldwide.