Key messages
- Malnutrition is common in people with cancer.
- Cancer malnutrition is often under recognised and treated, and can lead to many negative consequences for people with cancer and health services.
- Early identification of nutritional needs through screening and intervention can lead to considerable benefits for patients, carers and the health system.
- The Victorian Cancer Malnutrition Collaborative (VCMC) program of work aims to increase understanding and knowledge, and promote strategies for action in order to address the issue of cancer malnutrition
The Malnutrition Governance Toolkit
The Malnutrition Governance provides governance guidance and strategies to support effective malnutrition prevention and management in different cancer settings. Originally written in 2014, the Toolkit has been updated in 2024 and now freely available for use.
The Malnutrition in Cancer eLearning program
The Malnutrition and Sarcopenia in Cancer eLearning is a platform to improve and sustain clinician knowledge and practice relating to cancer-related malnutrition. Originally developed in 2014, the eLearning program has been updated in 2024 to include details of sarcopenia and is now presented as a fundamentals short course and a longer modular course for more detail. It is freely available for use. Find out more at the eLearning program .
The CanEAT pathway
The CanEAT is a cancer nutrition care pathway for patient, carers and health professionals that has been developed utilising experience-based co-design methodology. The pathway provides an evidence-based framework to guide and improve the provision of nutritional care of people with cancer throughout the care continuum. The iCanEAT project conducted 2020-2022 focused on the implementation of the CanEAT pathway into clinical practice. A refresh of the CanEAT pathway will be conducted during 2024-2025. Find out more at the iCanEAT pathway .
Cancer malnutrition point prevalence study (PPS)
The biennial cancer malnutrition point prevalence has been conducted in 2012, 2014, 2016, 2018, 2022 and next planned in 2024, The results from each of these studies indicates that the prevalence of malnutrition in Victorian Cancer Services is trending downwards, from 31% in 2012 to 14% in 2022, with higher prevalence rates seen in the inpatient setting compared to the ambulatory setting.
Cultural adaptation of the Malnutrition Screening Tool (MST)
This project converted the MST into an interactive online , available in English and Victoria’s top 10 preferred languages other than . This tool includes audio files, a printable PDF version and education resource in each language. These tools will add to the availability of resources for people with cancer from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds and enable effective use in all health settings.
Previous VCMC program of work initiatives
- Cancer malnutrition: feeding everyone from hospital to
- Malnutrition in Victorian Cancer Services – Phase III
- Addressing cancer malnutrition in Victoria – Phase II project
- Addressing cancer malnutrition in Victoria – Phase I project 2012
Downloads
Reviewed 28 November 2024