Despite an increasing prevalence of overweight, cancer-related malnutrition still is a major issue, which may easily be overlooked due to overweight masking the signs of malnutrition. In 2017, a multi-professional, international guideline, addressing inadequate food intake, catabolic metabolic derangements, preventing, assessing and monitoring nutritional status was published [1]. This publication was followed up by practical recommendations arising from an international workshop [2].
This lecture will discuss the state of the art of the literature, diagnosis and treatment of malnutrition, effectiveness of nutritional counselling and nutritional support in different cancers, in patients being treated with radiotherapy, chemotherapy or surgery, and anti-catabolic and anti-inflammatory ingredients, such as fish oil, leucine, and arginine. Finally, the importance of multimodal treatment will be highlighted.