CHSU Discovery

Cancer remains a significant global health burden, with treatment primarily focused on biomedical approaches. Lifestyle factors, particularly nutrition, are often overlooked in standard cancer care. Growing evidence suggests that nutritional education can play a pivotal role in improving patient outcomes and quality of life. This study evaluates the impact of a targeted nutritional education intervention on cancer patients' dietary knowledge and its potential to enhance their overall well-being.  

This prospective interventional study was conducted at Premier Cancer Center in Fresno, California. Six post-cancer participants were screened and enrolled by a physician. Participants completed a baseline nutrition questionnaire assessing their dietary knowledge. They then attended a brief educational session focusing on macronutrients, such as carbohydrates, proteins, fats, and portion sizes. Following the intervention, participants completed a post-test to measure knowledge improvement. Demographic data, including cancer diagnosis and age, were collected for subgroup analysis. Pre-test scores averaged 51%, with 50% of participants scoring below 50%. Post-test results demonstrated a 27% overall improvement, with average scores increasing to 78%. Significant gains were observed in understanding dietary fats, with scores rising from 33% to 56%.  

Nutritional education interventions can effectively enhance dietary knowledge in cancer patients, particularly in areas related to fat consumption. There was increased knowledge of fats in comparison to other topics such as carbohydrates and proteins. While the limitation of this study was a small sample size (n), this was a pilot project with the potential to impact more patients overtime at Premier Cancer Center. Consideration is made in continuing this nutritional education program for a longer period of time to monitor behavior modification. Incorporating lifestyle counseling into cancer care may offer a valuable adjunct to conventional treatments, supporting survivorship and improved quality of life.