Nutrition Aspects of Lung Cancer

Lung cancer is the most common type of cancer, excluding nonmelanoma skin cancer, and is the leading cause of cancer death in the United States. Notable carcinogens involved in the development of lung cancer include smoking, secondhand smoke, and radon. Lung cancer is divided into 2 major types: non-small-cell lung cancer, the most prevalent, and small-cell lung cancer. Treatment includes surgery, chemotherapy, radiation, or a combination of the same. Medical nutrition therapy is often required for nutrition-related side effects of cancer treatment, which include but are not limited to anorexia, nausea and vomiting, and esophagitis. The best protection against lung cancer is avoidance of airborne carcinogens and increased consumption of fruits and vegetables. Studies have shown that smokers taking large amounts of P-carotene and vitamin A supplements had increased lung cancer incidence and mortality. However, ingestion of P-carotene from foods, along with a diet rich in fruits and vegetables, has a protective role against lung disease. The use of complementary and alternative medicine by lung cancer patients is prevalent; therefore, clinicians should investigate whether complementary and alternative therapies are used by patients and advise them on the use of these therapies to avoid any potential side effects and interactions with conventional therapies. The article concludes with a case study of a patient with non-small-cell lung cancer and illustrates the use of medical nutrition therapy in relation to cancer treatment side effects. (Nutr Clin Pract. 2009;24:688-700)