Addressing Food Insecurity for People With Cancer: We Can No Longer Wait

JAMA Oncology

People living in the wealthiest nation on the planet should not have to worry about having enough food to eat. Yet, according to 2023 estimates, approximately 18 million US residents face food insecurity, defined as "the limited or uncertain availability of nutritionally adequate, safe foods, or the limited or uncertain ability to acquire such foods in socially acceptable ways." Between 17% and 55% of patients with cancer face food insecurity. Malnutrition is common in patients with cancer, and adequate food access is essential to facilitate their tolerance of treatments required to optimize oncologic outcomes.