The World Society of Surgical Oncology (WSSO) and Nestlé are developing global recommendations to improve nutritional care for people having cancer surgery, FoodNavigator reported. The initiative will bring together 15 medical experts from around the world to write practical guidance to help doctors and nurses identify patients at risk of malnutrition and give timely nutritional support before and after an operation.
Malnutrition affects up to 70% of cancer patients, according to Nestlé. The disease and its treatment can reduce appetite and affect how nutrients are absorbed and used, leaving patients weak just as surgery and recovery make greater demands on the body. Nutritional support before an operation can reduce complications and infections, shorten hospital stays and cut unplanned readmissions, the partners say.
"We know that nutritional care can contribute to better outcomes for patients undergoing cancer surgery, but it is not yet consistently part of surgical care," said Dr Rodrigo Pinheiro of the WSSO. "Through this collaboration, we aim to help translate the evidence into practical recommendations." Dr Sara Colombo Mottaz, head of medical, scientific and regulatory affairs at Nestlé, said better diagnosis of malnutrition and the right support could improve outcomes while easing pressure on health systems.
The partnership is part of a wider move by food companies into medical nutrition, healthy ageing and other health areas. Nestlé sells medical nutrition products, so readers should note its commercial interest; the guidance itself is to be written by the panel of medical experts.
Photo: Odrade123 / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0)
Source: FoodNavigator
Comments
(0)