Several factors can affect the nutritional status of children undergoing cancer therapy. The present review aims to describe children’s food intake during cancer treatments and to explore the contributing determinants. It also assesses the nutritional educational interventions developed for this clientele. Scientific literature from January 1995 to January 2018 was searched through PubMed and MEDLINE using keywords related to childhood cancer and nutritional intake. Quantitative and qualitative studies were reviewed: forty-seven articles were selected: thirty-eight related to food intake and parental practices and nine related to nutritional interventions. Patients’ intakes in energy, macronutrients and micronutrients were compared with those of healthy controls or with requirement standards. Generally, patients ate less energy and proteins than healthy children, but adhered similarly to national guidelines. There is a lack of consensus for standard nutrient requirement in this population and a need for more prospective evaluations. Qualitative studies provide an insight into the perceptions of children, parents and nurses on several determinants influencing eating behaviours, including the type of treatment and their side effects. Parental practices were found to be diverse. In general, savoury and salty foods were preferred to sweet foods. Finally, most interventional studies in childhood cancer have presented their protocol or assessed the feasibility of an intervention. Therefore, because of the variability of study designs and since only a few studies have presented results, their impact on the development of healthful eating habits remains unclear. A better understanding of children’s nutritional intakes and eating behaviours during cancer treatment could guide future nutritional interventions.

BackgroundProgresses in childhood cancer treatment, diagnosis, and management have resulted in childhood cancer survival rates of over 80%. However, this therapeutic success comes with a heavy price: two-thirds of childhood cancer survivors will be affected by further complications, including cardiovascular and metabolic diseases. Adequate nutrition during cancer treatment is essential to ensure the child’s optimal development, improve tolerance to treatments, and can contribute to lower the risk of developing cardiometabolic diseases. Side effects of cancer treatments can negatively impact children’s nutritional intake and eating behaviors. Involving the families of childhood cancer patients in educational workshops could be a promising avenue to promote healthy eating during and after cancer treatment.ObjectiveThe objectives of this study were to develop, validate, and implement a family-based nutrition education and cooking workshop curriculum in a pediatric oncology setting that addresses the nutritional issues encountered during treatments while promoting the adoption of healthy eating habits for the prevention of long-term cardiometabolic effects.MethodsThe workshops were developed and validated following an 8-step iterative process, including a review of the literature and consultations with a steering committee. An evaluation tool was also developed. A nonrandomized study protocol was elaborated to implement the workshops and measure their impact. The themes of the 6 research- and practice-based lessons are as follows: meal fortification during cancer treatment, changes in taste during cancer therapy and their impact on children, adapting diet to eating-related side effects of treatments, nutritional support during cancer treatment, Mediterranean diet and health, and planning quick and economic meals. The validation process included consultations with the institution’s clinical nutrition professionals. Self-administered post questionnaires were developed according to the content of each workshop to measure short-term outcomes, namely, participants’ perception of knowledge acquisition, behavioral intention, and satisfaction. Medium-term outcomes that will be evaluated are participants’ anthropometric profile, quality of the diet, and circulating biomarkers of metabolic health.ResultsThe project was funded in 2016 and enrollment will be completed in 2021. Data analysis is currently under way and the first results are expected to be submitted for publication in 2019.ConclusionsThis research- and practice-based nutrition education and cooking demonstration curriculum could be a valuable complement to a multidisciplinary lifestyle intervention for the prevention of long-term cardiometabolic complications in childhood cancer.

Background: Changes in food intake are common in children with cancer and are often caused by nausea and perturbations in sense of taste. The VIE (Valorization, Implication, Education) study proposes family-based nutrition and cooking education workshops during childhood cancer treatments. Process evaluation during implementation allows to assess if the intervention was delivered as planned and to determine its barriers and facilitators. The study objective was to describe the implementation process of a nutrition education and cooking workshop program for families of children actively treated for cancer in a non-randomized non-controlled feasibility study. Methods: Six open-to-all in-hospital workshops were offered on a weekly basis during a one-year implementation phase. We collected qualitative and quantitative data using field notes and activity reports completed by the registered dietician facilitator; surveys and questionnaires fulfilled by the workshop participants and by the families enrolled in the VIE study. Field notes were used to collect only qualitative data. Survey respondents (n = 26) were mostly mothers (n = 19, 73%). Children's mean age was 7.80 (± 4.99) years and the mean time since diagnosis was 7.98 (± 0.81) months. Qualitative data were codified using hybrid content analysis. The first deductive analysis was based on the Steckler & Linnan concepts. Subthemes were then identified inductively. Quantitative data were presented with descriptive statistics. Results: Workshop attendance was low (17 participants over 1 year) and 71% of the planned workshops were cancelled due to lack of participants. The principal barriers to participation referred the child's medical condition, parental presence required at the child's bedside and challenges related to logistics and time management. The level of interest in the topics addressed was found high or very high for 92% of the participants. The themes that were perceived as the most useful by parents were related to the child's specific medical condition. Conclusions: Despite high interest, workshops delivered in a face-to-face format were poorly feasible in our sample population. This supports the need to develop educational programs in pediatric oncology using strategies and delivery formats that address the major barriers for participation encountered by families.