Various efforts can be made to meet the nutritional needs of cancer patients.
REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA – Chairman of the Association of Indonesian Clinical Nutritionists (PDGKI) Jakarta Jaya Branch, dr. Win Johanes MS, Sp.GK asked the patient cancer to always pay attention to nutritional intake. He said, living a healthy lifestyle and fulfilling optimal nutrition are important steps that cancer patients need to take in supporting cancer therapy.
The fulfillment of nutrition during the therapy period aims to maintain ideal body weight. This also, he said, can meet energy and nutritional needs such as protein and EPA (omega 3 fatty acids from fish oil) for the recovery and healing phase.
However, he admits, this is not always easy for cancer patients, one of which is due to the side effects of therapy which cause the patient to have difficulty eating. He explained this in a webinar entitled “Nutrition to Support the Success of Cancer Therapy? What are the facts? ” which presents dr. Umi Mangesti Tjiptoningsih, Sp. Onk. Rad and dr. Ida Gunawan, MS, SpGK (K) as the speaker.
“PDGKI with the full support of Fresenius Kabi held webinars and writing competitions for journalists as part of an effort to broaden people’s understanding of the importance of nutrition to support the success of cancer therapy as well as to share solutions / suggestions that can be done by patients and their families / relatives to fulfill optimal nutrition for cancer patients, “he said, Thursday (8/4).
According to dr. Umi Mangesti Tjiptoningsih, cancer therapy such as radiation and chemotherapy, Sp. Onk. Rad, it can cause the patient to have difficulty eating such as no appetite, nausea or vomiting, and canker sores. He said, when the patient’s body is unable to get nutrition properly and with the metabolic changes caused by cancer cells from the patient’s body, it can lead to cancer cachexia.
In fact, he said, this change in nutritional status could have an impact on the therapy being carried out, such as the need to rearrange the therapy schedule to add more doses of cancer treatment, and can prolong hospital stay. “As an oncologist, it is very important to collaborate with multi-disciplines so that the outcome of cancer therapy in patients is more optimal, one of which is the clinical nutrition team,” said the radiation onco doctor at the Dharmais Cancer Hospital.
On the same occasion, dr. Ida Gunawan, MS, SpGK (K) explained, when cancer patients can still eat (golden moment) it must be optimized by providing proper nutrition. In addition, it must be in accordance with the recommendations of the European Society for Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition (ESPEN), which must take nutrients to meet energy needs: 25-30 kcal / kg BW / day, and protein requirements: 1.0 – 1.5 g / kg BW / day , as well as EPA (omega 3 fatty acids) as much as 1-2 g per day.
He said, various efforts could be made to meet the nutritional needs of cancer patients, including eating small portions often, menu variations, and choosing healthy foods that you like. “If a patient is unable to get food according to his daily needs or it is difficult to get the recommended EPA nutrients, protein, and energy, then the patient can take advantage of ONS (oral nutritional supplements) to fulfill their nutrition. Of course, observations and recommendations from a clinical nutritionist are needed to assess the needs. patient, “he said.
President Director of PT Fresenius Kabi Indonesia, Indrawati Taurus, in a press conference for the 2021 Writing Competition for Journalists conveyed the support given to PDGKI. According to him, this is a form of commitment to jointly provide education to the public about the importance of nutritional intake for cancer patients and various solutions that can be done to support the fulfillment of optimal nutrition.
In line with his philosophy of caring for life, he said, Fresenius Kabi is committed to supporting medical personnel in the care of cancer patients. This is done by providing quality nutritional products in accordance with existing recommendations and helping education efforts to the wider community about nutrition.
“We hope that the media can also actively participate in educational efforts to the wider community about optimal nutrition, so that cancer patients and their relatives and families can focus more on fulfilling nutrition to support the success of therapy,” he said.
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