Diet and nutrition information on nine national cancer organisation websites: A critical review

摘要

Introduction: National Cancer Organisations (NCO) provide web-based diet and nutrition information for patients with all types and stages of cancer. We examined diet and nutrition information provided by nine NCO in English-speaking countries. Methods: Diet and nutrition information was examined under four headings: disease phases, treatment modalities, nutrition impact symptoms and cancer primary sites. We also examined the degree of concordance between NCO websites and appraised the readability of materials.Results: Nine NCO websites from six English-speaking countries were included: Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and the United States. All provided general healthy eating advice. Information at diagnosis and pre-treatment was inadequate, but well-addressed for survivorship. Specific treatment modalities such as biological and hormone therapy were largely ignored. Symptom management was well-addressed, with some exceptions. Cancer site-specific advice was readily available. All recommended consultation with a dietitian/healthcare professional for personalised guidance. Only one met the universal health literacy standard. Conclusions: NCO websites provided important general diet and nutrition information for cancer patients. The information was reliable and safe, but more in-depth, evidence-based and health-literate information is required. There is an urgent need for an international consensus for consistent cancer diet and nutrition advice.