MASCC Nutrition and Cachexia Study Group

Leadership

Chair: Liz Isenring, PhD  - Australia
Vice-Chair: Egidio G. Del Fabbro, MD - USA

For more information or to contact the Study Group Leaders, please send an email to Leslie Johnson.

Objective

The MASCC Nutrition Study Group encourages broad-based research and state-of-the-art clinical practice in all areas of clinical nutrition as it relates to cancer.

Goals

he Study Group aims to increase awareness of guidelines for the appropriate use of nutritional support in cancer patients and to promote appropriate use of palliative and therapeutic strategies in the management of anorexia and weight loss in patients with advanced cancer. The Group seeks to develop and coordinate new evidence-based guidelines and to further improve clinical practice by encouraging research in areas where scientific literature is lacking.
Within this broad purview, areas of focus include new and emerging management strategies and the use of nutrition-based complementary and alternative medicine therapies. Given its multinational nature, the Study Group maintains sensitivity, in all its endeavors, to cultural and economic differences in cancer populations around the world.
This Study Group serves as a resource to other Study Groups and all MASCC members, as well as to the broader research community, with respect to the development of both laboratory research and practice guidelines on clinical nutrition in relation to cancer.

Past Workshops

• Nutritional Care Throughout the Advanced Cancer Journey: The Whole Meal Deal. 2016 MASCC/ISOO Annual Meeting, Adelaide, Australia
• Dysphagia Burden of Illness: An Underreported Complication of Treatment. 2015 MASCC/ISOO Annual Meeting, Copenhagen
• Nutrition - Cancer Care Pathways. 2014 MASCC/ISOO Annual Meeting, Miami, Florida, USA
• Cancer Cachexia and Fatigue in Advanced Cancer Patients. 2013 MASCC/ISOO Annual Meeting, Berlin
• Conducting Clinical Trials With Promising Cancer  Cachexia/Anorexia Agents. 2011 MASCC/ISOO Annual Meeting, Athens

Webinar

In February 2019, the Study Group offered a webinar, “The Cachexia Clinic — Building a Supportive Care Necessity.” The webinar, which featured speakers Egidio Del Fabbro, MD, Rony Dev MD, and Liz Isenring, PhD, was designed to present information and practical considerations for establishing and operating a cachexia clinic within a cancer center. Topics concerned service and team composition, assessment, management, and outcome measures.

Surveys

Attitudes, Beliefs, and Behaviours of Australia Dietitians Regarding Dietary Supplements: A Cross-Sectional Survey. Members of the Study Group undertook this study, in which 231 Australian dietitians replied to an online survey. The results showed that a majority of respondents were interested in dietary supplements, yet tentative about integrating them into their clinical practice. A primary barrier to doing so was concerns about potential drug-supplement interactions. Nearly 90% of the respondents, however, reported that they were interested in receiving more training about dietary supplements. The study was published in Complementary Therapies in Clinical Practice: Marx W, Kiss N, McKavanagh D, Isenring E. Complement Ther Clin Pract. 2016 Nov;25:87-91.
Nutrition Screening and Assessment: Views, Practices, and Behaviours of Healthcare Professionals Working with Patients in the Cancer Setting. The Study Group has also conducted an online survey on nutrition screening and assessment. The results will be provided at the 2019 MASCC/ISOO meeting and published in Supportive Care in Cancer.

Recent Member Publications

Recent Study Group member publications related to nutrition and cachexia in cancer patients.

Please contact the Study Group Chairs above with your questions.
MASCC Study Group Coordinator, Leslie Johnson