Abstract
Nutrition and diet play a major role in cancer. Malnutrition and weight loss often contribute to the death of cancer patients. Nutritional abnormalities in cancer are unique and are a result of abnormal anatomic and physiologic circumstances. Factors that contribute to this are cancer cachexia, abnormalities in metabolism, and the cytokine milieu. Because of these abnormalities surgery in cancer patients can be more problematic. It is important to perform a formal nutritional assessment on patients with cancer and develop unique treatment plans to address deficiencies in the perioperative setting. Additionally, special nutritional considerations must be made to address malignancies affecting specific organ sites.