Diet and Cancer Care: Why Nutrition Matters from Day One

Nutrition isn’t just about food. During cancer care, it’s about strength, recovery, and resilience. What and how we eat can influence treatment outcomes, energy levels, and overall wellbeing — and yet, nutrition is often overlooked.

Here’s what you need to know.

Malnutrition Is Common — and Often Invisible

Many people assume malnutrition means being underweight. But during cancer, it’s more complex. Malnutrition can affect anyone, regardless of body size, and it’s surprisingly common:

• Around 50–75% of people with cancer experience moderate to severe malnutrition

• Even before treatment begins, 30–80% may already be affected

• Losing more than 10% of body weight in the 6 months before surgery increases the risk of complications

Why Nutrition Matters in Cancer Care

Nutrition plays a role at every stage — not just in prevention, but from diagnosis onwards. It’s part of the treatment plan, not an add-on.

Here’s why:

• Your body’s needs increase during illness and healing

• Physical symptoms like pain, nausea, vomiting, or difficulty swallowing can make eating harder

• Emotional stress such as anxiety or depression can affect appetite and motivation

• Treatment side effects can disrupt digestion, taste, and energy

• Cancer itself speeds up metabolism and increases nutritional demands

What Causes Malnutrition in Cancer?

Malnutrition isn’t a personal failure — it’s often caused by a mix of physical, emotional, and treatment-related factors:

• Symptoms like nausea, diarrhoea, bloating, or pain

• Taste changes and difficulty swallowing

• Side effects such as anorexia, infections, or digestive issues

• Tumour growth increases energy needs

• Cancer cachexia — a complex syndrome where the body breaks down muscle and fat, even with adequate food

What Happens When Nutrition Is Compromised?

Malnutrition can affect more than just weight. It can impact how your body responds to treatment and how you feel day to day:

• Muscle loss and reduced strength

• Lower immunity and increased risk of infection

• Greater treatment side effects and toxicity

• Reduced response to therapy

• Poor wound healing and higher risk of complications

• Fatigue, brain fog, and emotional stress

• Lower quality of life

• Higher chance of missing or stopping treatment cycles

What Can Help?

Nutrition support during cancer isn’t about “eating better.” It’s about adapting to what your body needs — and what it can tolerate — with practical, compassionate strategies.

At Flourish, we offer tailored guidance to help you:

• Maintain strength and energy

• Navigate symptoms and side effects

• Feel more confident and supported around food

Need support?

Explore our programmes, resources, and one-to-one care at Flourish Cancer Nutrition. You don’t have to figure this out alone.