Gastrointestinal Symptomatology and Nutritional Interventions in Oncological Patients Under Palliative Care, Undergoing Chemotherapy Treatment: A Systematic Review

Abstract

GOAL: To define what Palliative Care is and what are the most common gastrointestinal symptoms in patients undergoing antineoplastic treatments and correlate the appropriate nutritional intervention to alleviate symptoms, providing better food acceptance and better quality of life. METHOD: This is a systematic review study, developed with scientific production indexed in the following electronic databases: LILACS, MEDLINE, SCIELO, PUBMED, and scientific journals. The time frame covered the period between 2008 and 2023 in Portuguese, Spanish and English. RESULT: Eight studies were identified that address gastrointestinal symptoms in cancer patients receiving palliative care. DISCUSSION: Studies indicate that antineoplastic treatments can generate symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, constipation, oral mucositis, xerostomia, dysphagia, odynophagia and dysgeusia.These symptoms can generate discomfort that has a major impact on reduced food intake, in addition to having a major impact on weight loss due to inappetence or early satiety, which will consequently interfere with the emergence of malnutrition, anorexia, cachexia and physical conditions. limited. CONCLUSION: In Palliative Care, nutrition plays a fundamental role, as it fulfills a biopsychosocial role and must provide comfort and quality of life, redefining the value of food so that it becomes a source of pleasure and satisfaction for these patients.