Managing Undernutrition in Pediatric Oncology: A Consensus Statement Developed Using the Delphi Method by the Polish Society for Clinical Nutrition of Children and the Polish Society of Pediatric Oncology and Hematology

• Published in: Nutrients 2024-04, Vol.16 (9), p.1327
• Main Authors: Budka-Chrzęszczyk, Agnieszka, Szlagatys-Sidorkiewicz, Agnieszka, Bień, Ewa, Irga-Jaworska, Ninela, Borkowska, Anna, Krawczyk, Małgorzata Anna, Popińska, Katarzyna, Romanowska, Hanna, Toporowska-Kowalska, Ewa, Świder, Magdalena, Styczyński, Jan, Szczepański, Tomasz, Książyk, Janusz
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Age; Body mass index; Cancer therapies; Chemotherapy; Child; Child Nutrition Disorders - diagnosis; Child Nutrition Disorders - diet therapy; Child Nutrition Disorders - prevention & control; Child Nutrition Disorders - therapy; Child, Preschool; Clinical medicine; Consensus; Delphi method; Delphi Technique; Hematology; Humans; Literature reviews; Malnutrition; Malnutrition - diagnosis; Malnutrition - etiology; Malnutrition - prevention & control; Malnutrition - therapy; Medical care; Medical diagnosis; Medical Oncology - standards; Mortality; Neoplasms - complications; Neoplasms - therapy; Nutrition; Nutrition Assessment; Nutritional Status; Nutritional Support - methods; Obesity; Oncology; Patients; Pediatrics; Pediatrics - methods; Pediatrics - standards; Poland; Proteins; Quality management; Questionnaires; Sarcopenia; Societies, Medical; Society; Standard scores; Trade and professional associations
• ISSN: 2072-6643; 2072-6643
• DOI: 10.3390/nu16091327

"Managing Undernutrition in Pediatric Oncology" is a collaborative consensus statement of the Polish Society for Clinical Nutrition of Children and the Polish Society of Pediatric Oncology and Hematology. The early identification and accurate management of malnutrition in children receiving anticancer treatment are crucial components to integrate into comprehensive medical care. Given the scarcity of high-quality literature on this topic, a consensus statement process was chosen over other approaches, such as guidelines, to provide comprehensive recommendations. Nevertheless, an extensive literature review using the PubMed database was conducted. The following terms, namely pediatric, childhood, cancer, pediatric oncology, malnutrition, undernutrition, refeeding syndrome, nutritional support, and nutrition, were used. The consensus was reached through the Delphi method. Comprehensive recommendations aim to identify malnutrition early in children with cancer and optimize nutritional interventions in this group. The statement underscores the importance of baseline and ongoing assessments of nutritional status and the identification of the risk factors for malnutrition development, and it presents tools that can be used to achieve these goals. This consensus statement establishes a standardized approach to nutritional support, aiming to optimize outcomes in pediatric cancer patients.