Nutritional Considerations in Lung Cancer Rehabilitation

Malnutrition is common in lung cancer patients. This can adversely affect the ability of the lung cancer patient to tolerate cancer treatment as well as have a negative impact on the affected individual's level of function and quality of life. Nutritional interventions can help minimize malnutrition, sarcopenia, and cachexia. The lung cancer patient should be screened for malnutrition before onset of cancer treatment, during active treatment, and in advanced stages of cancer and referred early to nutrition services for counseling and treatment.