Nutritional support in a cancer patient may need to be withheld or changed based on changes in the patient's clinical status.
When to review goals for nutritional support:
(1) estimated life-expectancy short (< 2 months)
(2) poor performance status (ECOG 3 or 4; Karnofsky performance status < 50)
(3) severe organ dysfunction
(4) uncontrolled or refractory symptoms
(5) initiation of palliative care
When to withhold nutritional support:
(1) patient's decision
(2) short life-expectancy (days)
(3) complications of nutritional support outweighing benefits
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Specialty: Nutrition, Hematology Oncology
