Oral feedings in the cancer patient.

The importance of maintaining the cancer patient's nutritional status is now recognized as a major part of the medical care. It is necessary for the oncology team to be aware of the psychological and physiological factors that interfere with food acceptance so that the correct food can be offered at the right time in the most palatable form. The oral route is the preferred method of feeding, and nutritional supplements, chosen according to the individual patient's needs, are of great value in assuring an adequate oral intake. Diagnostic tests and therapy are frequent causes of disruption of the meal schedule and the dietary service must be flexible in providing the patient an opportunity to make up for missed meals. Taste disturbance, nausea, vomiting and mucositis caused by therapy may necessitate periods of intravenous hyperalimentation. Food aversions due to therapy can frequently be prevented by avoiding new or unusual foods in the hours before chemotherapy or irradiation. Regular nutrition counseling during clinic visits and/or hospitalization permits diet modification for specific therapeutic needs. The ultimate goal is the prevention of wasting and debilitation due to malnutrition in the cancer patient.