This opinion paper presents a short review of the potential impact of protein on muscle anabolism in cancer, which is associated with better patient outcomes. Protein source is a topic of interest for patients and clinicians, partly due to recent emphasis on the supposed non-beneficial effect of proteins; therefore, misconceptions involving animal-based (e.g., meat, fish, dairy) and plant-based (e.g., legumes) proteins in cancer are acknowledged and addressed. Although the optimal dietary amino acid composition to support muscle health in cancer is yet to be established, animal-based proteins have a composition that offers superior anabolic potential, compared to plant-derived proteins. Thus, animal-based foods should represent the majority (i.e., !65%) of protein intake during active cancer treatment. A diet rich in plantderived proteins may support muscle anabolism in cancer, albeit requiring a larger quantity of protein to fulfill the optimal amino acid intake. We caution that translating dietary recommendations for cancer prevention to cancer treatment may be inadequate to support the pro-inflammatory and catabolic nature of the disease. We further caution against initiating an exclusively plant-based (i.e., vegan) diet upon a diagnosis of cancer, given the presence of elevated protein requirements and risk of inadequate protein intake to support muscle anabolism. Amino acid combination and the long-term sustainability of a dietary pattern void of animal-based foods requires careful and laborious management of protein intake for patients with cancer. Ultimately, a dietary amino acid composition that promotes muscle anabolism is optimally obtained through combination of animal-and plant-based protein sources.

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Preoperative nutrition status is an important determinant of surgical outcomes, yet malnutrition assessment is not integrated into all surgical pathways. Given its importance and the high prevalence of malnutrition in patients undergoing surgical procedures, preoperative nutrition screening, assessment, and intervention are needed to improve postoperative outcomes. This narrative review discusses novel methods to assess malnutrition and frailty in the surgical patient. The Global Leadership Initiative for Malnutrition (GLIM) criteria are increasingly used in surgical settings although further spread and implementation are strongly encouraged to help standardize the diagnosis of malnutrition. The use of body composition (ie, reduced muscle mass) as a phenotypic criterion in GLIM may lead to a greater number of patients identified as having malnutrition, which may otherwise be undetected if screened by other diagnostic tools. Skeletal muscle loss is a defining criterion of malnutrition and frailty. Novel direct and indirect approaches to assess muscle mass in clinical settings may facilitate the identification of patients with or at risk for malnutrition. Selected imaging techniques have the additional advantage of identifying myosteatosis (an independent predictor of morbidity and mortality for surgical patients). Feasible pathways for screening and assessing frailty exist and may determine the cost/benefit of surgery, long‐term independence and productivity, and the value of undertaking targeted interventions. Finally, the evaluation of nutrition risk and status is essential to predict and mitigate surgical outcomes. Nascent to novel approaches are the future of objectively identifying patients at perioperative nutrition risk and guiding therapy toward optimal perioperative standards of care.

Individuals who take medications may benefit from using vitamin and/or mineral supplements (VMS) yet excess supplementation can lead to overuse (daily intake exceeding the tolerable upper intake level (UL)). This study assessed VMS use of medically complex, community-living, older adults. A chart review of 229 patients ≥50 years with new medication assessments between 2014 and 2017 indicated that 76.9% of patients used ≥1 VMS daily. The UL for one or more nutrients was exceeded by 39.8% of supplement users.

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