The need for standardized dietary guidelines for cancer patients - with review of literature from governing bodies

Abstract

Dietary advices in the form of dietary guidelines help immensely in the management of health and disease, more so in the management of cancer patient. The objective of this study is to emphasize the need for standardized dietary guidelines which will guide the cancer patients and the medical fraternity involved in the management of cancer patient. Thorough search was done from recognized authorities for the available dietary guidelines for cancer patients. We also performed literature search with the use of PubMed, and Google Scholar as our database articles citing the benefits of dietary intervention in cancer management. Only the guidelines and dietary advices in the management of cancer patients which were given by the authorized bodies were considered. The dietary guidelines for cancer patients that we found after thorough search are very few. These guidelines have remained the same for decades now and need revival. There is a strong need for standardized dietary advices given by the concerned authorities to guide the medical fraternity to help to support the cancer patients in a better and confident way. More and more studies are required to standardize the dietary requirements during cancer management. The process, though herculean, can begin with simple and short guidelines for the dietary management of common health concerns during cancer treatment. With the help of outcomes of larger studies in this domain, more appropriate guidelines can be formulated.