Page 58 - Essentia Vol 5 Issue 1

VOL V | ISSUE I | 5 AUGUST 2026 VOL V | ISSUE I | 5 AUGUST 2026
A BIANNUAL NEWSLETTER OF ASSAM CANCER CARE FOUNDATION A BIANNUAL NEWSLETTER OF ASSAM CANCER CARE FOUNDATION

Beyond Calories

The Real Story of Onco Nutrition

Nomi Mohan
Senior Clinical Dietician
State Cancer Institute, Guwahati

Barbie Dutta
Clinical Dietician
State Cancer Institute, Guwahati

linical dietitians play a vital role throughout the patient care
journey, from diagnosis to survivorship and palliative care, by
Cproviding personalised nutrition support that improves outcomes
and quality of life. Responsible nutrition practice is built on science, not Nutrition
trends. It means offering evidence-based recommendations, correcting
misinformation, and recognising that medical nutrition therapy works is not
best when personalisation and clinical guidance go hand in hand.
one-size-
Assessing before advising
Before recommending any diet, a dietitian carries out a comprehensive fits-all.
nutritional assessment covering weight changes, dietary intake, eating
habits, biochemical parameters and disease status. This helps identify
malnutrition, or the risk of it, at an early stage, allowing timely intervention.
Based on these findings, the dietitian develops a personalised plan with
the right calories, protein and fluid intake to support treatment and
preserve strength.

What an Oncology Dietitian Does

Manages Supports
treatment-related immunity during Preserves muscle Improves Customises diets
side effects through chemotherapy and mass and physical treatment to the patient’s
therapeutic radiation strength tolerance and cancer type, stage
nutrition recovery and treatment

58 Maintain good oral hygiene and schedule regular dental check-ups. 59