Cancer chemotherapy: with or without food?

INTRODUCTION

Over the past few years, new chemotherapy agents have emerged, and several are oral. This review attempts to highlight the challenges associated with the interactions between food and chemotherapy, both oral and intravenous.

DISCUSSION

It provides tentative answers to three questions. Does oral chemotherapy bestow adverse effects derived from its oral administration, as related to food or taste? What instruction should health care providers give patients about food ingestion prior to prescribing oral chemotherapy? How should we counsel patients about eating before intravenous chemotherapy?