Palliative Nutritional Care for Cancer Patients.
Palliative care is of paramount importance for patients suffering from life threatening incurable diseases such as AIDS, cancer, end stage renal disease and end stage chronic illnesses.
In the Indian healthcare system, palliative care is a developing area and is not well
represented in the health sector. Medical advancements, cancer survivors are leading a longer and better quality of life but still there is a gap between availability of palliative care centers and assistance from healthcare professionals.
International Agency for Research on Cancer reported approximately 14.1 million new cancer cases and 8.2 million cancer deaths worldwide. Out of these there were 1015,000 cancer cases and 683,000 cancer deaths in India.
It has been predicted that the number of cancer deaths in India will rise from 683,000 in 2012 to 1.2 million
by 2035. The World Health Organization estimates 1 million new cancer patients yearly in India with approximately 750,000 of them requiring palliative care.
In cancer, with disease progression, a patients’ nutritional status is
progressively impacted. The multiple metabolic changes and nutritional depletion may affect body composition,
functional capability, psychological state and response to cancer treatment.
However the same tumor site may exhibit cachexia of varying grade or be absent in different patients. Approximately 50% of
cancer patients progress to cachexia. Its pathophysiology is characterized by a negative protein and energy balance driven by a variable combination of reduced food intake and abnormal metabolism”.
Palliat Med Hosp Care Open J. 2016; 2(1): e1-e6. doi: 10.17140/PMHCOJ-2-e002