Nutrition in critically ill cancer patients

Abstract

Lung cancer is a complex and multifactorial disease involving genetic, environmental and lifestyle factors, being the most common cancer worldwide in both men and women. About one-third of lung cancer cases are preventable through a healthy, balanced and diversified diet, maintaining a normal weight and practising regular physical activity. There are ten nutritional factors to be addressed, like in any other cancer site prevention: alcoholic beverages, overweight and obesity, physical activity, red and processed meat, salt and salted foods, fruits and vegetables, dietary fibers, dairy products, beta-carotene supplements, and breastfeeding. People should be more health-conscious, as lean as possible within the normal range of body weight, daily physically active, should limit consumption of energy-dense food, of red meat, especially processed meat, salt, and eat mostly foods of plant origin. Avoiding sugary drinks and limiting alcohol intake is strongly advisable. Cancer survivors should follow the same recommendations for cancer prevention.