Dietary and Nutritional Strategies for Patients with Glioma - A Narrative Review of Treatment, Recovery, Immune Support, and Microbiota Modulation

Sep 22, 2026

This narrative review explores the relationship between glioma and nutrition across treatment and recovery stages. Gliomas are aggressive brain tumors that challenge care and substantially reduce quality of life. Growing attention to the gut-brain axis and microbiome highlights links to immune modulation and effects on treatment response. The review evaluates how targeted nutritional strategies may support patients during chemotherapy, radiation, immunotherapy, surgery, and recovery, potentially improving tolerance and reducing inflammation.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryHealthcare

FormatPDF

Pages36

Reading Time1 h 31 min

AccessFree to download

Introduction

Clinical Context: Glioma Treatment Course and Associated Nutritional Challenges

Surgical Resection and Perioperative Nutritional Vulnerability

Review Dietary and Nutritional Strategies for Patients with Glioma: A Narrative Review of Treatment, Recovery, Immune Support, and Microbiota Modulation George B. H. Green 1, Alexis N. Cox-Holmes 1, Jonathan T. Flowers 2, Michael B. Williams 2, Anna Claire E. Potier 1, Jeri L. Brandom 2, Stephen A. Watts 2, Raymond Luke 3, Jennifer S. Yu 4 and Braden C. McFarland 1, * Academic Editor: Mariusz Chabowski Received: 13 February 2026 Revised: 16 March 2026 Accepted: 17 March 2026 Published: 19 March 2026 Copyright: © 2026 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license. 1 Department of Cell, Developmental and Integrative Biology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35294, USA 2 Department of Biology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35294, USA 3 Department of Radiation Oncology, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY 10065, USA 4 Department of Radiation Oncology, Department of Cancer Biology, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH 44195, USA * [Correspondence: bdcox@uab.edu](Correspondence: bdcox@uab.edu) Abstract This narrative review aims to explore the relationship between glioma and nutrition throughout stages of treatment and recovery. Gliomas are aggressive brain tumors that significantly impair quality of life and present treatment challenges. There has been a growing interest regarding the gut–brain axis and the microbiome, particularly their roles in modulating immune function and influencing the response to cancer treatment. This review examines how specific nutritional approaches may assist patients throughout the course of chemotherapy, radiation, immunotherapy, surgical intervention, and the recovery process. It also addresses the potential for integrative nutritional approaches to complement conventional treatment and improve clinical outcomes. Emerging evidence suggests that nutrition may influence immune function, treatment-related side effects, and the tumor microenvironment, in part through effects on the gut microbiota. Nutritional support during therapy has been linked to increased strength, decreased inflammation, and improved treatment tolerance. Dietary patterns may influence gut–brain interactions and systemic immune responses, opening the potential to improve therapeutic outcomesin glioma. In summary, nutrition may represent an important supportive component of glioma care, while microbiota-mediated and metabolic dietary strategies remain areas of active investigation. Further clinical studies are needed to determine whether specific nutritional interventions can improve survival, treatment response, or quality of life inpatients with glioma. Keywords: glioma; nutrition; microbiota; surgery; wound healing 1. Introduction Gliomas, tumors originating from glial cells in the brain, are the most common type of primary tumor found within the central nervous system (CNS) [1] . These tumors account for 25% of all brain tumors and 80% of all malignant brain tumors, with the most aggressive being glioblastoma (GBM) . Gliomas are categorized based on the phenotypic characteristics of the cells of origin—oligodendroglioma, ependymoma, or astrocytoma—as well as by grade, grades 1–4, and molecular features: for example, isocitrate dehydrogenase (IDH) mutation status or histone H3K27 mutation status [2,3] . As the glioma becomes more aggressive, the prognosis for the patient rapidly declines. Currently, the median survival for patients with GBM at the time of diagnosis is 15–16 months [4] . Therapeutic options depend on the location and grade of the tumor; however, treatment often consists of surgical resection and subsequent chemotherapy and radiation. Surgery is typically the primary treatment for brain tumors as it establishes a diagnosis and relieves mass effect. The use of adjuvant treatments such as chemother

FAQs

How does nutrition relate to glioma across different care phases?

The review describes nutrition as influencing supportive outcomes from perioperative management through chemotherapy, radiation, immunotherapy, and recovery, with potential effects on immune function and treatment tolerance.

Why are the gut-brain axis and microbiome emphasized in glioma nutrition research?

They are highlighted because emerging evidence suggests microbiota-mediated mechanisms can modulate immune activity and contribute to how patients respond to cancer treatment.

What potential benefits does nutritional support have during therapy?

Nutritional support during treatment has been linked to increased strength, decreased inflammation, and improved tolerance of therapeutic regimens.

Sep 22, 2026

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