# Effects of Dietary Interventions on Nutritional Status in Patients with Gastrointestinal Cancers: A Systematic Review

## TL;DR

This review finds that early and personalized nutrition support improves health and treatment outcomes for people with gastrointestinal cancers.

## Contribution

A synthesis of evidence showing that early individualized nutritional interventions improve outcomes in gastrointestinal cancer patients.

## Key findings

- Individualized and early nutritional interventions help maintain weight and protein status in gastrointestinal cancer patients.
- Nutritional support improves tolerance to cancer treatments and may enhance survival.
- Nutritional therapy supports quality of life and reduces complications during cancer treatment.

## Abstract

Introduction/Object: Gastrointestinal cancers are among the most common types of neoplasms and are often associated with malnutrition, which affects physical performance, treatment tolerance and prognosis. This paper aims to synthesize, through a systematic search, the evidence on the impact of nutritional interventions on nutritional status in patients with digestive cancers prone to malnutrition. Methods: A systematic search was performed in PubMed, MDPI, Web of Science and ScienceDirect, for articles published between 2009 and 2025. Overall, 14,503 records were identified, and after screening of titles, abstracts and full-text evaluation, 80 studies (cross-sectional and cohort) were included. Data extraction was performed by a single researcher, using pre-established criteria and a standardized table, and the assessment of study quality was performed qualitatively, taking into account study design, sample size, nutritional assessment methods and clarity of reporting of results. Results: Evidence suggests that individualized and early applied nutritional interventions contribute to maintaining weight and protein status, improve tolerance to oncological treatments and may positively influence patient survival. Conclusions: Nutritional therapy plays a crucial role in preventing complications and supporting the body during oncological treatment, optimizing patients’ quality of life. This review provides a clear synthesis of the current evidence and recognizes methodological limitations related to the qualitative assessment of the included studies.