Nutritional management of a patient with acute myeloid leukaemia complicated by gastrointestinal symptoms and typhlitis

Abstract

Leukaemia is the 11th most prevalent cancer worldwide, with acute myeloid leukaemia (AML) representing an acute and highly aggressive subtype that requires urgent medical intervention. Although national data on incidence and mortality in South Africa remain limited, an epidemiological study conducted between 2015 and 2019 identified AML as the most common form of leukaemia in the country. This case study describes a 57-year-old male newly diagnosed with AML, presenting with multiple comorbidities including poorly controlled type II diabetes and class II obesity. The report underscores the complexities of nutritional management in patients with AML, as well as the unpredictable and severe complications arising from high-dose chemotherapy. These challenges significantly influence nutrition delivery and the ability to meet individual nutritional requirements.