Call for Action Healthcare experts call to improve the nutritional care of cancer patients
On 21 September, during the ESPEN-ONCA-MNI Joint Session at ESPEN Virtual Congress 2020, cancer patients’ representatives, dietitians, cancer care givers and industry emphasised the importance of nutritional care during cancer treatment and called on the European Commission and EU Member States to make optimal nutritional care a pillar of the forthcoming European strategy to defeat cancer, as recommended by the Joint Statement ‘Making cancer-related complications and comorbidities an EU health priority.
All emphasised four critical steps to improve nutritional care of cancer patients:
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the need to adopt a patient centred approach, based on their needs
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the need to screen, diagnose and treat malnutrition
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the crucial role of dietitians to deliver tailored therapies to help malnourished patients meet their nutritional needs
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and the urgency to apply existing guidelines, such as ESPEN guideline on nutrition in cancer patients
