The growing incidence of cancer cases worldwide is a significant factor in the development of the oncology nutrition industry. The use of dietary products before and during cancer therapy provides the opportunity to combat disease and provides strength and resilience against the after-effects of the treatment fueling demand development. Other factors playing a crucial role in taking the oncology nutrition market to the next level are the growing demand for oncology nutrition products in-home care settings, and increasing demand for enteral nutrition products is expected to further spur the growth of the oncology nutrition market.

Increasing Prevalence of Cancer Coupled with a Rising Geriatric Population

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), cancer is the second leading cause of death worldwide. The statistics from the WHO reveals that around 25% of cancer patients died due to malnourishment as a result of illness or anti-cancer therapy. It further stated that an estimated 9.6 million death, i.e., 1 in 6 deaths were reported, due to cancer in 2018; and the cancer rates might upsurge by 50% to 15 million by 2020.

Moreover, the increasing geriatric population is expected to fuel the industry's growth in the near term as they are more prone to develop cancer. According to the WHO's data, it is predicted that the global population aging 60 years and above will reach 2 billion by 2050. According to the American Cancer Society, in 2016, individuals aged 50 and above accounted for around 87% of cancer patients in the U.S. Aging population is more susceptible to cancer, thus needs adequate nutrition for the management.

Continual Efforts by Private and Public Organizations to Promote Awareness regarding Cancer Nutrition

The oncology nutrition market is gaining traction from the mushrooming of private and public organizations dedicated to increasing awareness levels. The Nutritional Oncology Research Institute (NORI) Nutraceuticals provides superior quality nutritional supplements and specialty nutraceuticals for clinical oncology. NORI integrates the power of nutrition and a few very natural agents to aid slow down cancer progression and potentially reverse it.

The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics empowers the Oncology Nutrition Dietetic Practice Group by its publication and consultancy comprising of advocacy and educational research as an oncology nutrition pioneer with experts. MNI, the Medical Nutrition International Industry association representing companies offering solutions for nutritional therapy, such as Oral Nutritional Supplements (ONS), Enteral Tube Feeding (enteral nutrition via the gastrointestinal tract), and Parenteral Nutrition (intravenous feeding), as well as other factors operating in the medical nutrition market, such as ingredients and medical devices for nutritional care.

In April 2019, Nestle Health Science (NHS) partnered with Virtual Health Partners, Inc. (VHP), a virtual health and wellness organization, to deliver the groundbreaking program COPES (Cancer Focused Customized Food & Emotional Support), a new interactive network primarily developed to connect cancer patients with diet and health support.

Such initiatives provide substantial growth opportunities for the market. In oncology, dietary medicine is an untapped, and under the valued modality of therapy. In cancer care, there is an opportunity to create a whole new direction that incorporates diet, lifestyle, herbal medicine, and non-patentable natural compounds derived from plants.

Global Oncology Nutrition Market: Segmentation

Lung Cancer Is Projected to Witness Substantial Growth over the Estimated Period

Nutrition plays an important role in the continuum of lung cancer. Studies have shown that smokers consuming elevated levels of beta-carotene and vitamin A supplements have increased the prevalence and mortality of lung cancer. However, dietary consumption of beta-carotene, along with a diet high in fruits and vegetables, plays a beneficial function in combating lung cancer.

According to GLOBOCAN 2018 figures, an estimated 2,129,118 cancer cases have been registered in the United States, which is projected to rise by 2040 to reach 3,096,944 cases. Of all types of tumors, lung cancer has the largest share, accounting for 2,093,876 new diagnoses globally in 2018. The need for oncology nutrition will grow as the number of people with lung cancer rises, as nutrition provides the opportunity to combat illness and gives resilience against the after-effects of the treatment.

Regional Overview

North America Dominates the Global Oncology Nutrition Market

North America dominates the global oncology nutrition market primarily owing to the escalating prevalence of cancer across the American region. For instance, as reported by the National Cancer Institute, under the National Institute of Health (NIH), in 2020, an estimated 1.8 million new cases of cancer are expected to have been diagnosed within the United States, and 606,520 patients amongst them are probable to meet fatal consequences.

Source: The Global Cancer Observatory, World Health Organization

Furthermore, according to NIH, the incidence rate of new cases is approximate 442.4 cases per 100,000 men and women annually, and the mortality rate due to the same is approximated as 158.3 deaths per 100,000 men and women every year. Thus, due to the growing risks and incidence of cancer within the region, the market experiences high demand for cancer nutrition.

Besides, key players operating in this region are now focusing on adopting strategies, such as product innovations, mergers, and acquisitions to enhance market position. For instance, in 2017, Celgene Corporation, a U.S based biotechnology firm join forces with Savor Health. Savor Health is involved in providing cancer patients with expert dietary solutions.

Asia-Pacific Is Poised to Grow Rapidly in the Global Oncology Nutrition Market

Rising awareness programmers on the significance of preserving proper nutrition during recovery, Asia-Pacific is expected to experience the fastest growth in the evaluation period. For instance, in August 2018, the Singapore Cancer Society organized an awareness campaign for Gastric Cancer Awareness 2018 that told people about proper nutrition. These campaigns are expected to support the growth of the region's oncology nutrition industry.

The surge in cancer prevalence coupled with the rising geriatric population in this region and high expenditure on healthcare is among the key factors attributable to the development of the Asia-Pacific cancer clinical nutrition sector. Japan has the largest aging population in the world, with the number of people over 65 years of age is expected to be 35,524 million (28%) in 2019, and is predicted to exceed 37,278 million (30.9%) in 2030, according to the World Ageing 2019 survey.

Recent Developments

• In 2019, CancerCare entered into a partnership with Savor Health and launched Introduce Ina, the intelligent nutrition assistant. The Ina provides personalized, evidence-based nutrition support to aid people with cancer eat healthily and stay well-nourished throughout their treatment.

Global Oncology Nutrition Market: Segmentation

By Caner Type

• Head and Neck Cancers
• Breast Cancer
• Liver Cancer
• Stomach and Gastrointestinal Cancer
• Blood Cancer
• Pancreatic Cancer
• Others

By Regions

• America
• Europe
• Asia-Pacific
• The Middle East and Africa