Abstracts

Introduction: Patient's with neuroendocrine tumors (NET) are at nutritional risk due to symptoms and side-effects of treatment.Current evidence based guidelines lack information regarding optimal nutritional management and supportive care.Aim(s): This study aims to describe current knowledge and management of nutrition complications in GEP NET patients, and summarise international practices.Materials and methods: Health professionals regularly managing NET patients were invited by email to participate in a 21item online survey.Demographic information was recorded on country of work, profession, number of NET patients managed/year.Questions asked about symptom prevalence, their impact in NET patients, and nutrition screening and assessment practices.Preliminary results were summarized.Results: Of the 28 health professionals who completed the survey, 20 (71%) worked in Australia and 6 (21%) worked in the United Kingdom.Professions represented included dietitians (32%), medical oncologists (32%) and nurses (14%).Forty three percent reported managing more than 50 NET patients per year.Diarrhoea and fatigue were reported as the most common and of concern symptoms amongst NET patients.Provision of advice on symptom management, weight loss and food intolerances was reported by 89%, 46% and 43% respectively.Screening for malnutrition and vitamin deficiencies was reported by 36%.Barriers to screening included limited knowledge of appropriate screening practices, and belief the role of screening aligned with another profession.Conclusion: Reported symptom prevalence and burden appears to align with published patient reported data.Management of symptoms and food intolerances is more common practice than malnutrition or vitamin screening amongst NET health professionals.