Early Nutritional Intervention to Prevent Malnutrition in Patients With Cancer Receiving Palliative Chemotherapy in an Outpatient Setting

What this Trial Is About

This research aims to study the effects of early nutritional interventions on patients with cancer who are receiving palliative chemotherapy. It focuses on whether these interventions impact body weight, quality of life, survival, muscle mass, physical function, nutritional risk, and treatment tolerance. The study compares patients receiving the nutritional intervention to a historical control group following current clinical practice. Participants newly diagnosed with lung, pancreatic, ovarian, or colorectal cancer start first-line palliative chemotherapy and receive an individualized nutritional intervention from a clinical dietitian. This intervention is tailored to each patient's nutritional needs, food preferences, and symptoms affecting taste and smell. The study also includes a simple home-based physical exercise program. The intervention is delivered from the start of treatment and continues throughout the chemotherapy period. The control group receives standard care without systematic nutritional treatment but may be referred to a dietitian after clinical assessment. Participants are assessed at baseline, 12 weeks, and 24 weeks for body weight, quality of life, muscle mass, performance status, hand grip strength, timed up and go test, nutritional risk, chemotherapy dose intensity, treatment postponements, and survival up to one year. Data collection includes self-reported questionnaires and clinical measurements to monitor treatment tolerance and physical function. The study aims to provide insights into how early nutritional support may improve the overall experience and outcomes for cancer patients undergoing palliative chemotherapy.

Early Nutritional Intervention in Patients With Cancer