Niedożywienie u dzieci z chorobÄ nowotworowÄ

Nutritional disorders are common symptoms of cancer. The development of malnutrition in chronic illness is the result of impaired energy balance system in which the increased demand for nutrients is met by decreased supply and higher loss. Malnutrition is a complex mechanism and not completely understood, also depends on factors produced by cancer tissue and the host immune system. Application of modern oncological treatment, giving a higher cure rates entails a higher risk of side effects, including impairment of nutritional status. Children with cancer are at high risk of weight loss and progressive malnutrition in the course of oncological treatment. There are many reports of poorer tolerance of chemotherapy, rise of infectious complications and increased rate of mortality in patients with malnutrition. The study of nutritional status should be the standard of physical examination. Screening is based on an interview, anthropometric measurements and laboratory tests and their purpose is to determine the degree of malnutrition and, if necessary starting of nutritional treatment. The aim of this work is to present the criteria to assess nutritional status, until the inclusion of nutritional treatment and extent of the necessary laboratory tests. According to these recommendations and other reports from the literature is preferred the use of enteral feeding wherever possible as a more physiological and having fewer complications.