The work of the nutritionist in the improvement of the quality of life of old people with cancer in palliative care

DOI: 10.15343/0104-7809.200933.3.13

Abstract

Palliative care (PC) is a treatment alternative for advanced cancer that is more active, comprehensive and complex in the sense of
interdisciplinary integration due to including the dimension of human mortality and finitude, expressed in the physical, psychic, social and spiritual
necessities that determine the quality of life. In palliative care, the interdisciplinary care team makes efforts to care for these dimensions.
In this context, the nutritionist has an essential role, due to collaborating for a favorable evolution of old people with cancer, which generally
present inapetence, disinterest for foods and even refusal of their own favorite foods. The article aims to describe which nutritional aspects,
functional and morphologic changes are relevant in nutritional assistance of old people with cancer in PC. We did a bibliographic survey in
LILACS, MEDLINE, SCIELO and CAPES portal databases regarding papers written from 2003 to 2009. The aging process has some peculiarities
that may negatively modify nutritional necessities, and these, associated to cancer, may affect quality of life. As assistance goals are different
according to different evolutions of the disease, identifying nutritional aspects and morphologic and physiological changes due to aging is vital
for treating old people with cancer, for these alterations disturbs nutritional options to be chosen. Thus, when properly supervised by the caring
team, this knowledge may contribute for improving quality of life.