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World J Gastrointest Oncol. Oct 15, 2021; 13(10): 1440-1452
Published online Oct 15, 2021. doi: 10.4251/wjgo.v13.i10.1440
Nutritional therapy for hepatocellular carcinoma
Astrid Ruiz-Margáin, Berenice M Román-Calleja, Paulina Moreno-Guillén, José A González-Regueiro, Deyanira Kúsulas-Delint, Alejandro Campos-Murguía, Nayelli C Flores-García, Ricardo Ulises Macías-Rodríguez
Astrid Ruiz-Margáin, Berenice M Román-Calleja, Paulina Moreno-Guillén, Liver Nutrition Clinic, Department of Gastroenterology, Instituto Nacional de Ciencias Médicas y Nutrición Salvador Zubirán, Mexico City 14080, Mexico
Astrid Ruiz-Margáin, Ricardo Ulises Macías-Rodríguez, Liver Fibrosis and Nutrition Lab, MICTLÁN-Network (Mechanisms of Liver Injury, Cell Death and Translational Nutrition in Liver Diseases- Research Network), Mexico City 14080, Mexico
José A González-Regueiro, Deyanira Kúsulas-Delint, Alejandro Campos-Murguía, Nayelli C Flores-García, Ricardo Ulises Macías-Rodríguez, Department of Gastroenterology, Instituto Nacional de Ciencias Médicas y Nutrición Salvador Zubirán, Mexico City 14080, Mexico
Author contributions: Ruiz-Margáin A and Macías-Rodríguez RU contributed to study conception and design; All authors contributed to acquisition of data, analysis of data, interpretation of data, drafting the article, making critical revisions for the content of the manuscript and writing and approving the final version of the article to be published.
Conflict-of-interest statement: All authors declare no conflicts of interest related to this article.
Open-Access: This article is an open-access article that was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution NonCommercial (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/
Corresponding author: Astrid Ruiz-Margáin, BSc, MSc, PhD, Assistant Professor, Liver Nutrition Clinic, Department of Gastroenterology, Instituto Nacional de Ciencias Médicas y Nutrición Salvador Zubirán, Vasco de Quiroga 15, Col. Belisario Dominguez Seccion XVI, Mexico City 14080, Mexico. astrid.ruizm@incmnsz.mx
Received: February 22, 2021
Peer-review started: February 22, 2021
First decision: May 8, 2021
Revised: May 23, 2021
Accepted: August 9, 2021
Article in press: August 9, 2021
Published online: October 15, 2021
Core Tip

Core Tip: Hepatocellular carcinoma is often found in patients with cirrhosis; nutritional management for both conditions can be challenging due to increased energy requirements and increased liver-related complications. Nutritional support must include sufficient energy and proteins to overcome the highly catabolic state derived from the two conditions. Branched-chain amino acids are recommended in both cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma as they can improve muscle mass, body protein, response to treatment and quality of life. Finally, an adequate and feasible exercise program should be provided as a part of the nutritional plan, aiming to improve the overall status.