Most children diagnosed with cancer in India are malnourished, report says

According to the Food Heals Report 2024 released by Cuddles Foundation, a non-profit organization that collaborates with 40 public hospitals across 14 states in India, malnutrition plays a significant role in the diagnosis and treatment outcomes of childhood cancer. The report highlights how malnutrition significantly hampers the treatment of pediatric cancer patients as most of the children diagnosed are already malnourished.

Childhood cancer is a growing public health problem in India, aggravated by the absence of specific policies and programmes to address its control. Paediatric oncology departments are present in only 41.6% of public hospitals, 48.6% of private hospitals and 64% of NGO-run tertiary hospitals, making access to care uneven across the country.

According to the report, an estimated 76,000 children in India are diagnosed with cancer each year and 57 to 61 percent of them are malnourished when they receive their first nutritional consultation. Malnutrition in these children severely affects their ability to tolerate treatment, leading to higher rates of complications, infections and poor outcomes. The report highlights that malnutrition is a key barrier to effective pediatric cancer care.

Purnota Dutta Bahl, Founder and CEO of Cuddles Foundation, highlighted the urgency of the situation: “The findings of the Food Heals Report 2024 highlight a heartbreaking reality: malnutrition remains one of the greatest challenges in pediatric cancer care. Adequate nutrition gives these brave children the strength to endure grueling treatments and the best chance of recovery.”

Bahl called for increased awareness, more specialist nutritionists and better training to integrate nutrition into paediatric cancer care. “Together we can ensure that no child loses their battle due to a lack of adequate nutrition,” she added.

The report also reveals that 65% of pediatric patients with newly diagnosed cancer consume less than half of the calories and proteins they need daily, which weakens their ability to tolerate cancer treatments. This caloric and protein deficiency makes them more vulnerable to infections and hinders their recovery and growth.

Dr Pradeep Chandrakar, Professor of Radiation Oncology at the Regional Cancer Centre, Raipur, commented on the challenges: “Children with cancer are often malnourished due to their additional calorie needs and poor nutrition due to loss of appetite, poverty and lack of education. Initiating treatment in these children is challenging and during this time, they are more susceptible to infections and other complications.”

Adequate nutrition is critical to improving outcomes for these children. However, the report also highlights a severe shortage of specialised nutritionists in Indian hospitals. Accredited cancer hospitals have a nutritionist-to-patient ratio of 1:54, while non-accredited centres face an even more worrying ratio of 1:407. The experts who authored the report underline the urgent need to invest in nutrition services, specialised training for nutritionists and the development of structured nutrition care processes (NCP) in paediatric oncology.

The report advocates for personalized nutritional care plans tailored to each child’s specific needs, which can significantly improve recovery and long-term health outcomes. The authors urge mandatory targeted nutritional interventions in pediatric oncology care, increased funding, and the recruitment of more pediatric oncology nutritionists to meet growing demand.