Research is increasingly pointing to the importance of nutrition in cancer treatment plans, according to early findings shared by a Tufts professor. Fang Fang Zhang, a specialist in cancer epidemiology and nutrition, highlighted that cancer patients often face higher nutritional needs due to the disease or treatment effects like fatigue and nausea, which can lead to malnutrition.
Zhang, who chairs the division of nutrition epidemiology and data science at Tufts University’s Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy, spoke at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. She noted that 85 percent of cancer patients, particularly those in treatment or with advanced disease, are at risk of malnutrition. This risk can cause inflammation, weight loss, muscle reduction, and weakened immunity, affecting treatment tolerance and increasing hospital stays. Nutrition interventions could improve patients’ quality of life and cut billions in direct medical costs, Zhang said.
Three main Food Is Medicine programs offer nutritional support for diet-sensitive conditions. These include medically tailored meals delivered to homes, medically tailored groceries in food boxes or meal kits, and “produce prescriptions” redeemable at stores. Zhang emphasized that nutrition education is vital in all these programs, which have shown to reduce food insecurity and improve dietary and mental health outcomes.
In a study led by Zhang and her team, patients with lung cancer were divided into two groups. The intervention group received home-delivered tailored meals and remote dietitian counseling, while the control group only received printed nutritional materials. The intervention group showed notable nutritional improvements per the Healthy Eating Index.
Despite promising findings, Zhang pointed out challenges such as insufficient malnutrition screening in oncology care and limited access to nutritious food. She noted that more than half of low-income cancer patients face food insecurity. Zhang advocates for systemic approaches to integrate nutrition into healthcare.
Massachusetts was among the first to implement Food Is Medicine programs under Medicaid’s Section 1115 waiver, with 13 states approved and three pending. As these initiatives grow, Zhang is optimistic about understanding their effectiveness and application. She aims to explore not just if these programs work, but how they can be implemented effectively in real-world settings.
Original Source: news.harvard.edu
