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Does Dietary Counseling Improve Quality of Life in Cancer Patients? A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis
University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, Iowa City, University of Iceland, Reykjavik, and Mayo Clinic College of Medicine, Rochester, Minnesota
Results have been mixed as to whether dietary counseling improves clinical outcomes in cancer patients. This systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized trials assessed the effect of dietary counseling on quality of life (QOL). It included only randomized trials that focused on dietary counseling and that relied upon a standardized QOL measurement. Five trials that met these and all other a priori eligibility criteria were identified; they are the focus of this meta-analysis. When these five studies were examined in aggregate, the standardized mean difference in QOL scores among patients who received dietary counseling was 0.56 (95% confidence interval, –0.01–1.14; P = 0.06). Dietary counseling does not appear to improve QOL significantly in patients with cancer. However, an observed trend toward benefit underscores the need for further study.
| J Support Oncol 2008;6:234–237 | full text |  148 kb |