"One Size Doesn't Fit All": Nutrition Care Needs in Esophageal and Gastric Cancer Survivors-A Qualitative Study.

Background/

Objectives

Nutritional complications are highly prevalent in esophageal and gastric cancer survivors and can negatively impact their quality of life. Gaining insight into survivors' experiences with nutrition care can inform the development of tailored nutrition care programs for this population. The present study investigated esophageal and gastric cancer survivors' nutritional challenges and complications. It also explored survivors' and their carers' perceived unmet nutrition care needs.

Methods

Esophageal and gastric cancer survivors and their caregivers were invited to participate in a semi-structured interview. Participants were asked about their nutritional challenges and experiences with existing dietetic services in meeting their nutrition care needs. Data were analyzed using Braun and Clarke's six-stage approach to thematic analysis.

Results

Twelve individual interviews were completed and analyzed, and three themes emerged: nutrition-related challenges and complications, experiences with dietetic services, and coping strategies. Persistent gastrointestinal symptoms were reported as the main nutritional challenges impacting survivors' daily and social lives. While participants reported good access to dietetic services, they emphasized the need for additional support during early post-surgery stages and long-term survivorship. Key unmet needs included access to personalized dietary advice for symptom management and timely information on nutritional challenges and post-treatment complications.

Conclusions

The present study underscores the need for increased dietitian support throughout the esophageal and gastric cancer journey to provide timely, personalized, and practical dietary information for survivors and their caregivers. These insights should be considered for developing tailored nutrition care programs for esophageal and gastric cancer survivors.