Eating during chemotherapy treatment for colorectal cancer

Eating problems are common during cancer treatment and they are associated with poor quality of life, poor treatment tolerance and poor survival.

The aim of this project was to investigate dietary intake in colorectal cancer patients receiving chemotherapy. A questionnaire was administered to 92 patients with Stage II-III colorectal cancer receiving chemotherapy treatment at a UK cancer centre in 2018-19. A purposive sample of twenty patients who completed the questionnaire were interviewed.

Results showed that more than three in five patients were at risk of malnutrition but fewer than one in five were concerned about their oral intake. Self-management of diet and weight was inconsistent with achieving the dietary intake recommended by clinical guidelines on nutrition in cancer.

It was found that psychoeducation to support change in the self-management of nutritional risk may improve nutritional status during treatment with implications for treatment tolerance and outcomes including quality of life.