Description:
<jats:title>Abstract</jats:title><jats:sec><jats:title>Aims</jats:title><jats:p>The aim of this paper was to update the evidence‐based practice guidelines for the nutritional management of patients receiving radiation therapy and broaden the scope to include chemotherapy.</jats:p></jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title>Methods</jats:title><jats:p>The following databases were searched using a range of keywords: <jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">C</jats:styled-content>ochrane <jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">D</jats:styled-content>atabase, <jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">CENTRAL</jats:styled-content>, <jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">MEDLINE</jats:styled-content> (via <jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">E</jats:styled-content>bscohost), <jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">EMBASE</jats:styled-content>, <jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">CINAHL</jats:styled-content> (<jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">E</jats:styled-content>bscohost), <jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">W</jats:styled-content>eb of <jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">S</jats:styled-content>cience, <jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">H</jats:styled-content>ealth <jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">S</jats:styled-content>ource: <jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">N</jats:styled-content>ursing/<jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">A</jats:styled-content>cademic <jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">E</jats:styled-content>dition and <jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">P</jats:styled-content>ub<jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">M</jats:styled-content>ed. Relevant papers (n = 47) were reviewed by at least two members of the steering committee and assigned a level of evidence and a quality rating.</jats:p></jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title>Results</jats:title><jats:p>There were no new published randomised controlled trials (<jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">RCTs</jats:styled-content>) of nutrition intervention in radiation therapy. Most statements in the previous radiation therapy guidelines have strong evidence supporting nutrition intervention. There were 12 studies in chemotherapy including five <jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">RCTs</jats:styled-content>. While these studies provided strong evidence that simple nutrition intervention improves nutritional outcomes such as dietary intake and weight, they did not find an improvement in quality of life or survival. Several <jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">RCTs</jats:styled-content> found no benefits of nutrition support in patients undergoing chemotherapy. None of the <jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">RCTs</jats:styled-content> in chemotherapy used medical nutrition therapy (<jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">MNT</jats:styled-content>) as the intervention, but rather simple dietary advice and/or supplements.</jats:p></jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title>Conclusions</jats:title><jats:p>The evidence to support nutrition intervention in patients receiving radiation therapy remains strong. However, the benefits of nutrition intervention in chemotherapy are less clear. Further studies are required to evaluate the impact of <jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">MNT</jats:styled-content> as opposed to simple dietary advice in chemotherapy patients. This update contributes to a move towards comprehensive evidence‐based guidelines for the nutritional management of patients with cancer.</jats:p></jats:sec>