Nutrition in cancer.

The treatment and control of malignant disease is one of the most serious problems facing family physicians. One of the more positive actions that can be taken to support these patients is the monitoring of the nutritional state prior to hospital admission and during the interval between treatments. This can be done both in hospital and at home. Counsel using behavior modification; symptomatically treat controllable side effects, and use either oral or tube-feedings to attain a nutritional state which gives the patient the best opportunity to respond to therapy and resist complications.