Madarasz B, Balazs MA, Palfi E, Konczos J, Toth A, Szentmartoni G, Herold Z, Dank M. Ultra-processed foods and dietary habits of oncology patients: Risk factor or survival strategy. World J Clin Oncol 2025; 16(12): 111372 [PMID: 41480165 DOI: 10.5306/wjco.v16.i12.111372]
Corresponding Author of This Article
Balint Madarasz, Researcher, Division of Oncology, Department of Internal Medicine and Oncology, Semmelweis University, Baross Street 23-25, Budapest H-1082, Hungary. madarasz.balint@semmelweis.hu
Research Domain of This Article
Oncology
Article-Type of This Article
Minireviews
Open-Access Policy of This Article
This article is an open-access article which was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/
World J Clin Oncol. Dec 24, 2025; 16(12): 111372 Published online Dec 24, 2025. doi: 10.5306/wjco.v16.i12.111372
Ultra-processed foods and dietary habits of oncology patients: Risk factor or survival strategy
Balint Madarasz, Mate Adam Balazs, Erzsebet Palfi, Julia Konczos, Andrea Toth, Gyongyver Szentmartoni, Zoltan Herold, Magdolna Dank
Balint Madarasz, Mate Adam Balazs, Julia Konczos, Andrea Toth, Gyongyver Szentmartoni, Zoltan Herold, Magdolna Dank, Division of Oncology, Department of Internal Medicine and Oncology, Semmelweis University, Budapest H-1082, Hungary
Balint Madarasz, Mate Adam Balazs, Julia Konczos, Gyongyver Szentmartoni, Zoltan Herold, Magdolna Dank, Pharmacovigilance and Patient Safety Research Group, Oncology Unit, Department of Internal Medicine and Oncology, Semmelweis University, Budapest H-1082, Hungary
Erzsebet Palfi, Department of Dietetics and Nutrition Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, Semmelweis University, Budapest H-1088, Hungary
Zoltan Herold, Magdolna Dank, National Institute of Oncology, Budapest H-1122, Hungary
Zoltan Herold, Magdolna Dank, Department of Medical Oncology, Semmelweis University, Budapest H-1122, Hungary
Author contributions: All authors listed have made a substantial, direct, and intellectual contribution to the work and approved it for publication.
Conflict-of-interest statement: All the authors report no relevant conflicts of interest for this article.
Corresponding author: Balint Madarasz, Researcher, Division of Oncology, Department of Internal Medicine and Oncology, Semmelweis University, Baross Street 23-25, Budapest H-1082, Hungary. madarasz.balint@semmelweis.hu
Received: June 30, 2025 Revised: July 29, 2025 Accepted: November 4, 2025 Published online: December 24, 2025 Processing time: 178 Days and 13.5 Hours
Abstract
The consumption of ultra-processed foods (UPFs) is continuously increasing, and there is growing evidence that these foods contribute to the development and progression of cancer. For oncology patients alone, maintaining nutritional status is crucial for tolerating treatments and improving survival. The aim of this paper is to review the role of UPFs in the diet of oncology patients, highlighting their potential health-damaging effects (e.g., increased inflammation, microbiome disruption, nutrient deficiencies) and potential benefits (e.g., easy accessibility, high energy content, specially formulated nutritional supplements) particularly in the context of addressing the energy and nutrient needs and nutritional challenges of patients experiencing cancer-related cachexia or anorexia. Using a literature review, we examine how the UPFs can impact oncology patients’ health, supporting the quality of life and clinical outcomes of oncology patients.
Core Tip: Ultra-processed foods (UPFs) are increasingly consumed and may significantly impact the health of oncology patients. This review explores the dual role of UPFs - highlighting potential harms such as inflammation, microbiome disruption, and nutrient deficiencies, as well as potential benefits like energy density and accessibility for patients with cancer-related cachexia or anorexia. By examining current literature, the paper underscores the importance of carefully evaluating UPFs in the dietary management of cancer patients to support treatment tolerance, nutritional status, and quality of life.
