Research

Cancer patients actively undergoing treatment are often not recipients of dietary counseling, yet experience fatigue and food aversions that lead to weight loss. The Cancer Nutrition Consortium is an organization that funds research related to nutritional issues that affect those undergoing cancer treatments. Based on these studies, Hormel Health Labs created easy-to-prepare food and beverage offerings to meet the unique, and short-term nutritional needs of these cancer patients.

This mixed methods case series explored how head and neck cancer (HNC) survivors participate in the dimensions of the eating experience (described as physiological, psychological, social, cultural). This was a sub-study of a primary study, “The Natural History and Impact of Taste Change in Oncology Care.” Qualitative interviews and quantitative data (questionnaires and exams) were intersected to examine and describe the complexities of transitioning the eating experience after treatment for HNC. Triangulation of qualitative and quantitative data within and across cases was examined to produce rich descriptions of the changes and transitions in the eating experience.

Taste and olfactory changes begin within days of initiating chemotherapy and radiation therapy for head and neck cancers (HNC) and may persist 12 months or longer post-treatment, affecting 50 to 75% of adults with HNC. In this study, we assess taste function and diet in addition to food product evaluation among patients with HNC.

The perception of flavor is frequently altered in cancer patients, impacting quality of life and affecting dietary intake, with potential metabolic and nutritional effects. While taste/flavor changes are very common during active cancer care, they persist in large numbers of cancer survivors affecting quality of life beyond active cancer treatment.

To describe the impact of cancer treatment on the dietary behaviors and food preferences of older adult cancer patients and explore associations between these dietary changes and common cancer symptoms. Eight hundred cancer patients age 55 years of age and older undergoing cancer treatment completed a self-administered questionnaire.

Patients undergoing cancer treatment experience a multitude of symptoms that can influence their ability to complete treatment as well as their quality of life during and after treatment. This cross-sectional study sought to describe the dietary changes experienced by cancer patients and to identify associations between these changes and common treatment symptoms.