Page 12 - Today's Dietitian (March 2020)

Cancer Nutrition By Brianna Tobritzhofer, MS, RD, LD

prevent cancer patients from obtaining
the nutrition they need. Food is Medi-
cine organizations strive to provide free
resources for cancer patients to help
them maintain a nutritious diet, manage
treatment side effects, and improve
treatment success.

How the Organizations Work
What makes Food is Medicine programs
unique is their focus on medically tailored
meals. According to the Food is Medi-
cine Coalition, an association of nonprofit
medically tailored food and nutrition ser-
vice providers, medically tailored meals
are delicious, nutritious meals designed
by dietitians to meet the unique medical
needs of severely ill people to keep them
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healthy and at home.
Each Food is Medicine organization
is required to have at least one dietitian
Food is Medicine Organizations on staff and professional chefs who
develop menu selections specifically
Improve Patients’ Health to meet the various medical needs of
cancer patients who must manage
A s the second most common failure, HIV/AIDS, and cancer. Open complications. For example, OAM has
comorbidities, side effects, and
Arms of Minnesota (OAM), a Food is
cause of death in the United
a flavor-neutral menu that includes
States, cancer is a debilitat-
Medicine organization in Minneapolis,
bland, soft foods for cancer patients
ing disease that has exten-
vices for more than 30 years and intro-
sive nutrition implications. has been providing free nutrition ser- struggling with taste changes, food
aversions, and mouth sores. It also has a
According to the American Cancer Soci- duced services for cancer patients in high-calorie and high-protein menu for
ety, there were approximately 740,000 2005, according to its client database. clients who need support with weight
new cancer cases in the country in 2019, Currently, more than 50% of OAM’s and strength maintenance, as well as
42% of which were potentially avoid- 1,000 clients have a cancer diagnosis. low-sodium, gluten-free, dairy-free, and
able with changes in lifestyle and eating Its services also are available for clients vegan options. All of the food on OAM’s
habits. Fortunately, there are many with HIV/AIDS, end-stage renal disease, menus can be modified to a puréed
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community initiatives dedicated to congestive heart failure, multiple sclero- texture. OAM clients also have the
reducing cancer rates and improving sis, atrophic lateral sclerosis, and COPD. option to receive a “nausea care pack”
the nutrition status of those diagnosed OAM and other Food is Medicine with their deliveries, which includes
with the disease. Food is Medicine orga- organizations help champion the Amer- food items that help alleviate side effects
nizations, for example, are available in ican Cancer Society’s nutrition guide- related to cancer treatment. The menu
several states as a resource for cancer lines, which are focused on promoting options Food is Medicine programs
patients. Dietitians should become healthful individual choices and com- offer vary, but generally they follow
familiar with these organizations so munity action. These guidelines are evidence-based guidelines established
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they can make appropriate referrals and challenging for some cancer patients by reputable organizations such as the
ensure patients have what they need to to follow on their own. For example, American Heart Association and the
implement nutrition and lifestyle recom- there’s a considerable financial burden Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. The
mendations provided in clinical settings. associated with a cancer diagnosis. The meal deliveries these programs provide
Agency for Healthcare Research and typically contain between 50% and 100%
Background on the Organizations Quality estimates that the direct medi- of their clients’ overall nutritional needs.
Food is Medicine organizations provide cal costs for cancer in the United States Processes for meal production vary by
community-based nutrition services in 2015 were $80.2 billion. Approxi- program, but most produce meals from
focused on offering home-delivered and mately 52% of those costs were for hos- a central kitchen. Chefs and volunteers
medically tailored meals to patients at pital outpatient or office-based provider are responsible for preparing and cook-
risk of malnutrition from serious ill- visits, and 38% were for inpatient hos- ing the meals. Programs typically staff
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nesses. Programs are dedicated to meet- pital stays. Community initiatives, a logistics and delivery team that orga-
ing MNT requirements for conditions such as Food is Medicine, are vital to nizes delivery schedules; employees and/
such as renal disease, congestive heart address financial and other barriers that or volunteers coordinate meal deliveries.

12 TODAY’S DIETITIAN • MARCH 2020