Which specialist provides nutrition support in cancer?

A dietitian looks at eating patterns, weight changes, symptoms, treatment effects, medical conditions, and food preferences. They can suggest ways to manage nausea, taste changes, mouth soreness, constipation, diarrhoea, or difficulty swallowing. Support may include food fortification, oral nutrition drinks, texture changes, or advice about tube feeding when the clinical team considers it appropriate. The plan can change as treatment and symptoms change.

Write down what you eat and drink, symptoms that interfere with meals, and any recent changes in appetite or weight. Bring questions about culturally familiar foods, meal timing, supplements, and food safety. Tell the dietitian about diabetes, kidney disease, allergies, and medicines. Do not start high-dose supplements without checking first, because some products can conflict with treatment or affect blood tests.

Contact your oncology team promptly if you cannot keep fluids down, are choking or coughing with drinks, have very little urine, or are becoming too weak to manage basic activities. Urgent care is needed for severe breathing difficulty, confusion, or signs of dehydration such as fainting. A dietitian can help, but these symptoms may also require medical treatment or swallowing assessment.

Ask when you should meet the dietitian, which symptoms should trigger a call, whether supplements are suitable, and how nutrition goals fit with your planned treatment.