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Cancer Supportive Care Nutrition Program
Abstract For the American Dietetics Convention, St Louis, October 21, 2001
Bernadette Festa, RD, MS, Ernest H. Rosenbaum, MD, Isadora R. Rosenbaum, MA, Holly V. Gautier, RN, BSN, Margaret Hawn, RN, Pat Fobair, LCSW, Kathleen Dzubur, MS, Alexandra Andrews
Cancer Supportive Care, Stanford Center for Integrative Medicine , Stanford Hospital & Clinics


Learning Outcome:
To improve the quality of life of cancer patients and their families empowering them to make informed health choices.

Abstract Text:
Cancer patients are at risk for various nutritional deficiencies and are a vulnerable group as to seeking out alternative resources. A Nutrition Program was designed in March of 2000 as a component of Cancer Supportive Care, Complementary Medicine Clinic at Stanford Medical Center, to provide free individual counseling, lectures, and web site presence. Eighty percent of the funding for the Program comes from private donations with 20% from Adventis Pharmaceuticals. Two educational packets were designed for patients, a general oncology and a head and neck packet, maintained in both the Stanford Health Library and the Clinic. A nutritionist is available 3 days a week for individual appointments. Nutritional services are provided in Stanford's Radiation Oncology to address symptom-related nutritional concerns, initiated in January 2001 for 4 hours weekly, serving the Head and Neck Clinic and the general oncology needs. A nutrition quarterly lecture is a component of the patient weekly lecture series at the Clinic. A professional educational video (Nutrition Update 2000) has been made, with videos made during lectures and loaned to patients. In addition, professional talks have been done for Stanford professionals and support groups on cancer, supplements, diet, and integrative nutrition medicine.

Unique Characteristics:

- l) Cost-free Program.
- 2) Custom-designed 1 hour nutrition visits, with follow-ups as needed (33 patient consults the past month).
- 3)Nutrition visits on-site at Radiation Oncology before and after treatment to address symptom-management.
- 4) Quarterly educational classes and workshops on various topics.
- 5)Website - www.cancersupportivecare.com, with nutrition symptom control, frequently asked questions, and supplement sections, with greater than 6,000 visitors for the nutrition section in the past year.
- 6) Bi-monthly newsletter with nutrition column.



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