Evidence map›Paper›PMID 32451701›Full record

SynthesisSupportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer2020

Nutrition interventions to improve the appetite of adults undergoing cancer treatment: a systematic review.

Bianca Ukovic, Judi Porter

Abstract readSystematic Review
PubMed Publisher
In one paragraph

Synthesis in Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 19 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
19citing papers in PubMed, 2 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

19 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Pooled it
  3. Review
  4. Article
  5. Article
  6. Article
  7. Foodservice interventions and their influence on nutritional outcomes and satisfaction of adult oncology patients-a conceptual replication.Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer · 2025
    Review
  8. Article
  9. Article
  10. Article
  11. Review
  12. Article
  13. Article
  14. Clinical practice guidelines for the nutritional risk screening and assessment of cancer patients: a systematic quality appraisal using the AGREE II instrument.Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer · 2021
    Review
  15. Review
  16. Article
  17. Nutraceuticals and diet in human health and disease. The special issue at a glance.Journal of traditional and complementary medicine · 2020
    Article
  18. Article
  19. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

2 authors.

Bianca UkovicDepartment of Nutrition & Dietetics, Eastern Health, 5 Arnold St, Box Hill, 3128, Victoria, Australia. Bianca.ukovic@austin.org.au.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6438-7716
Judi PorterAllied Health Clinical Research Office, Eastern Health, 5 Arnold St, Box Hill, 3128, Victoria, Australia.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7535-1919

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

purposeLoss of appetite is a common side effect of cancer and cancer treatments resulting in risk of malnutrition and cancer cachexia. This review aimed to systematically determine nutrition interventions that improve appetite and nutrition-related outcomes of adults with cancer undergoing cancer treatments, and to identify appetite assessment tools used to measure appetite.

methodsInclusion criteria included randomised controlled trials of adults with cancer undergoing chemotherapy, radiotherapy or immunotherapy treatments, nutrition interventions and appetite assessed by an appetite assessment tool or quality of life tool. The search strategy was applied to four databases and two researchers systematically assessed for eligibility. Following data extraction, quality of the included library was assessed using the Quality Criteria Checklist: Primary Research. A narrative synthesis of results was undertaken.

resultsAfter title/abstract screening, 24 full texts were assessed for eligibility; five trials of n = 472 participants were included in the final library. Nutrition interventions that improved appetite were oral nutrition supplements, fish oil supplements and dietary counselling. Appetite was assessed via visual analogue scales (n = 1) and EORTC QLQ C30 questionnaire (n = 4). Quality was assessed as neutral in 2 studies and positive in 3 studies.

conclusionThe use of oral nutrition supplements and dietary counselling and increases in EPA from fish oil supplementation improved the appetite and nutrition outcomes of patients with cancer undergoing cancer treatments. Validated assessment tools in the oncology setting are needed to determine which nutrition interventions positively influence appetite outcomes.

Indexed as

AppetiteHumansNeoplasmsQuality of LifeAppetiteCancerNutrition interventionsOncology

Identifiers

PMID32451701

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.