Dietary habits and intake of nutritional supplements in patients of outpatient cancer clinics

Background: Nutrition and nutritional status are of crucial importance in the context of cancer. There is almost no data available on dietary habits and use of nutritional supplements in patients with cancer in Germany. Therefore, the aim of this survey was to record dietary habits and use of nutritional supplements in patients of outpatient cancer clinics. Method: Patients at 17 outpatient cancer clinics in southern Bavaria were surveyed using a standardized questionnaire. The patients were asked about their dietary habits, nutrition-related medical care and use of nutritional supplements in addition to their diagnoses, treatment and health status. The statistical evaluation was carried out using a descriptive approach. Results: Data from a total of 765 people (60.9% women) was evaluated. The average age of the participants was 63 ± 13 years, and the average Body Mass Index (BMI) was 25.2 ± 5.1 kg/m². Most of the participants (91.9%) reported that they followed a normal diet, but 9.2% reported that they placed some restrictions on the range of foods they consumed (e.g. no raw foods). Three people reported that they followed a classic cancer patient diet. About half of those surveyed (48.6%) reported taking nutritional supplements. The products most frequently used by these people were minerals (56.7%), vitamin preparations (52.4%) and “other” nutritional supplements (35.5%), for instance herbal remedies or homeopathic remedies such as globules. The use of nutritional supplements was most common in those with breast cancer (59.8%). Conclusions: Only a few of the patients with cancer surveyed had any notable features in their dietary habits, but half of those surveyed took nutritional supplements. The results of this survey highlight the need for medical nutritional counseling as part of routine care for patients with oncological diseases.