Nutritional Intervention in Children Undergoing Chemotherapy for Cancer

This non-randomised controlled study investigated the effect of a Soy Milk Powder (SMP) on nutritional status, recovery and survival of children undergoing chemotherapy for Burkitt's Lymphoma and Wilms Tumour in Kumasi, Ghana. The intervention group received the supplement, which provided 80% of their Recommended Daily Allowance for protein per day for 6 months. Compliance, nutritional impact and survival at 1 year were monitored. Sixty-four children (32 each in intervention and non-intervention) were recruited using consecutive sampling. The two groups were similar at baseline, but at 3 and 6 months follow up, all the anthropometric parameters: TSF (p=0.008), MUAC (p=0.003), BMI (p=0.013) and MAC (p=0.026), except weight and height significantly increased in the intervention group. Serum zinc (p=0.021) and Hb (p=0.023) also increased significantly in the intervention group. No intervention child had low BMI-for-age nor low MUAC, compared with 18.1% and 13.6% respectively, in the non-intervention. Low Hb (from 100% to 15.8%), reduced glutathione (from 21.9% to 0%) and zinc deficiency (87.5% to 52.6%) also reduced. At the one year follow up, 47% recovered and 19% died in the intervention group, compared with 16% recovery and 28% mortality in the non-intervention (p<0.001). In conclusion, SMP improved nutritional parameters and survival in children with cancer.