Oncology Nutrition Market - Global Industry Size, Share, Trends, Opportunity & Forecast, Segmented By Cancer Type (Lung Cancer, Head and Neck Cancer, Stomach and Gastrointestinal Cancers, Esophageal Cancer, Liver Cancer, Blood Cancer, Others), By Nutrition (Enteral Nutrition, Parenteral Nutrition), By Formula (Standard Formula, Elemental Formula, Specialized Formula), By Distribution Channel (Hospital Pharmacy, Online Pharmacy, Retail Pharmacy), By End User (Hospitals, Homecare, Specialty Clinics), By Region & Competition, 2021-2031F

Forecast Period	2027-2031
Market Size (2025)	USD 3.01 Billion
CAGR (2026-2031)	8.93%
Fastest Growing Segment	Specialized Formula
Largest Market	North America
Market Size (2031)	USD 5.03 Billion

Market Overview

The Global Oncology Nutrition Market will grow from USD 3.01 Billion in 2025 to USD 5.03 Billion by 2031 at a 8.93% CAGR. The Global Oncology Nutrition Market comprises specialized clinical dietary formulations, including enteral feeds and oral nutritional supplements, specifically engineered to address the complex metabolic alterations and cachexia associated with cancer and its treatments. The primary drivers fueling market growth include the escalating prevalence of malignancies and the growing clinical consensus that integrates nutritional support into standard oncological protocols to enhance treatment tolerance and patient recovery. According to the American Cancer Society, in 2025, projections indicated that over 2 million new cancer cases would be diagnosed in the United States alone, reflecting a rising disease burden that necessitates robust supportive care solutions globally.

However, a significant challenge impeding the market’s trajectory is the inconsistency in reimbursement policies and limited insurance coverage for medical nutrition products across various international jurisdictions. This financial barrier often renders these essential formulations unaffordable for patients in cost-sensitive regions and restricts broader adoption in non-hospital settings. Consequently, manufacturers face the ongoing obstacle of demonstrating pharmacoeconomic value to payers and healthcare authorities to secure adequate coverage and sustain long-term market expansion.

Key Market Drivers

The primary factor propelling the Global Oncology Nutrition Market is the escalating global incidence of cancer and the associated critical prevalence of malnutrition. As malignancy rates rise, malnutrition remains a pervasive comorbidity that severely impacts treatment outcomes and patient survival, necessitating aggressive nutritional intervention. According to a systematic review published by the National Institutes of Health in July 2025, the prevalence of severe malnutrition among cancer patients was reported at 19.3%, with rates in specific subgroups such as pancreatic cancer reaching as high as 85%. This high burden drives the urgent clinical demand for specialized formulations capable of mitigating cachexia and stabilizing patient weight during aggressive oncological therapies.

Furthermore, the market is undergoing a significant structural transformation due to a shift toward home-based enteral feeding and outpatient care. Healthcare systems are increasingly prioritizing home-care settings to reduce hospitalization costs and improve patient quality of life, which fuels the consumption of portable and user-friendly nutritional solutions. This trend is evident in commercial performance; according to Danone, February 2025, in the 'Full Year 2024 Results' report, the Specialized Nutrition segment achieved a 4.6% sales increase, explicitly bolstered by a movement towards boosting consumption in homecare channels. Reflecting this robust market demand, according to Fresenius Kabi, March 2025, in the 'Annual Report 2024', the company's clinical nutrition business revenue reached approximately €2.4 billion for the fiscal year, underscoring the substantial commercial scale of these essential supportive care products.

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Key Market Challenges

The inconsistency in reimbursement policies and limited insurance coverage constitutes a substantial barrier to the expansion of the Global Oncology Nutrition Market. While clinical evidence supports the efficacy of specialized nutrition, payer frameworks in many jurisdictions fail to classify these formulations as reimbursable medical necessities. This financial disconnect forces patients to bear the costs out-of-pocket, significantly reducing adherence to nutritional protocols, particularly in outpatient settings where insurance verification is stringent. Consequently, the market struggles to penetrate the non-hospital sector effectively, limiting revenue potential despite high patient need.

This gap in financial support is particularly detrimental given the prevalence of nutritional deficits among cancer populations. According to the American Society for Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition, in 2024, data indicated that one-third of patients treated in ambulatory cancer centers were at risk for malnutrition before treatment initiation. When reimbursement mechanisms deny coverage for these at-risk outpatients, the addressable market shrinks considerably. Manufacturers are restricted from fully capitalizing on the demand for supportive care, as the economic burden precludes widespread product adoption among the patient groups requiring these interventions the most.

Key Market Trends

The integration of immunonutrition is emerging as a critical trend, shifting the focus from basic caloric support to targeted therapeutic modulation. Clinicians are increasingly prescribing formulas enriched with specific pharmaconutrients—such as arginine, glutamine, and omega-3 fatty acids—to attenuate the systemic inflammation and mucosal toxicity caused by aggressive oncological therapies. This approach aims to maintain immune competence and reduce treatment interruptions, thereby improving overall survival rates. Reflecting this clinical prioritization, according to CenterWatch, February 2025, a Phase 3 clinical trial was initiated to evaluate the efficacy of a specialized oral immunonutrition regimen in reducing the severity of acute esophagitis among 121 patients with lung cancer undergoing concurrent chemoradiotherapy.

Simultaneously, the market is witnessing a rapid expansion in the demand for plant-based and vegan oncology nutrition formulations. This trend is driven by patient preferences for clean-label, non-dairy options and the clinical need to address lactose intolerance or gastrointestinal sensitivity often exacerbated by cancer treatments. Manufacturers are reformulating standard enteral feeds to utilize alternative protein sources, ensuring they meet rigorous medical requirements while aligning with these dietary shifts. Validating the clinical viability of such innovations, according to the National Institutes of Health, September 2025, a prospective intervention study demonstrated that a high-energy plant-based enteral feed, utilizing a protein blend of 55% soy isolates and 45% pea isolates, achieved effective long-term nutritional support and tolerance in patients.

Segmental Insights

The Specialized Formula segment represents the fastest-growing category in the Global Oncology Nutrition Market. This trajectory is primarily fueled by the critical need to manage cancer-induced malnutrition and cachexia, which demand precise metabolic support rather than general supplementation. These formulas are specifically designed to preserve lean muscle mass and sustain immune function during therapy. The adoption of such interventions is strongly supported by guidelines from the European Society for Clinical Nutrition and Metabolism, which advocate for targeted nutritional care. As a result, healthcare providers are prioritizing these formulas to enhance treatment tolerance and patient recovery.

Regional Insights

North America maintains a dominant position in the global oncology nutrition market, primarily driven by the rising prevalence of cancer and a well-established healthcare infrastructure. The region benefits from strong awareness among healthcare professionals and patients regarding the critical role of nutritional support during cancer treatment. Favorable reimbursement policies for clinical nutrition further improve patient access to essential products. Additionally, clear regulatory guidelines from the United States Food and Drug Administration regarding medical foods provide a stable environment for product development and ensure safety standards are met across the industry.

Recent Developments

• In October 2025, Faeth Therapeutics announced it had raised $25 million in a financing round led by S2G Ventures to advance its oncology pipeline. The company reported that the capital would support the development of its lead program, PIKTOR, which had shown promising results in a Phase 2 trial for endometrial cancer. Faeth Therapeutics specializes in metabolism-based cancer treatments that pair targeted therapeutics with precision nutrition and dietary interventions to starve tumors of specific nutrients. This funding round brought the company's total raised capital to approximately $92 million, highlighting the growing interest in integrating nutritional science with cancer drug development.
• In September 2024, Fresenius Kabi highlighted its advancements in clinical nutrition at the 46th ESPEN Congress on Clinical Nutrition and Metabolism held in Milan. During the event, the company hosted a satellite symposium titled "Navigating Metabolic and Nutritional Pathways in Cancer Care," which brought together global experts to discuss the integration of medical nutrition into cancer patient journeys. The session focused on the parallel management of nutritional status and anti-cancer treatments to improve patient outcomes. This initiative demonstrated the company's ongoing commitment to education and research in the field of oncology nutrition, addressing the critical challenge of disease-related malnutrition.
• In May 2024, Kate Farms was awarded a significant national group purchasing agreement with Premier, Inc., a leading healthcare improvement company. Through this collaboration, the company's plant-based, organic medical nutrition formulas became available to healthcare providers within Premier's pediatric collaborative program, Kiindo. The agreement aimed to expand access to high-quality, allergen-free enteral nutrition options for patients, including those undergoing oncology treatments who often require specialized dietary support. This partnership underscored the increasing demand for plant-based clinical nutrition products in hospital settings to manage malnutrition and support patient recovery during intensive medical care.
• In January 2024, Danone entered into a strategic partnership with the digital oncology company Resilience to enhance nutritional care for cancer patients. The collaboration resulted in the development of a specialized nutrition and oncology module integrated directly into Resilience’s remote patient monitoring platform. This innovative digital tool was designed to help healthcare professionals screen for malnutrition early and provide patients with personalized nutritional guidance and support throughout their treatment. By combining Danone’s expertise in medical nutrition with Resilience’s digital health capabilities, the initiative aimed to address the high prevalence of malnutrition among oncology patients and improve their quality of life.

Key Market Players

• Abbott Laboratories Inc
• Nestle SA
• Fresenius Kabi AG
• B Braun SE
• Hormel Foods Corporation
• Danone SA
• MEIJI Holdings Co Ltd
• Global Health Products, Inc.
• Victus Inc
• Mead Johnson & Co LLC

By Cancer Type	By Nutrition	By Formula	By Distribution Channel	By End User	By Region
Lung Cancer Head and Neck Cancer Stomach and Gastrointestinal Cancers Esophageal Cancer Liver Cancer Blood Cancer Others	Enteral Nutrition Parenteral Nutrition	Standard Formula Elemental Formula Specialized Formula	Hospital Pharmacy Online Pharmacy Retail Pharmacy	Hospitals Homecare Specialty Clinics	North America Europe Asia Pacific South America Middle East & Africa

Report Scope:

In this report, the Global Oncology Nutrition Market has been segmented into the following categories, in addition to the industry trends which have also been detailed below:

• Oncology Nutrition Market, By Cancer Type:

• Lung Cancer
• Head and Neck Cancer
• Stomach and Gastrointestinal Cancers
• Esophageal Cancer
• Liver Cancer
• Blood Cancer
• Others

• Oncology Nutrition Market, By Nutrition:

• Enteral Nutrition
• Parenteral Nutrition

• Oncology Nutrition Market, By Formula:

• Standard Formula
• Elemental Formula
• Specialized Formula

• Oncology Nutrition Market, By Distribution Channel:

• Hospital Pharmacy
• Online Pharmacy
• Retail Pharmacy

• Oncology Nutrition Market, By End User:

• Hospitals
• Homecare
• Specialty Clinics

• Oncology Nutrition Market, By Region:

• North America
• United States
• Canada
• Mexico
• Europe
• France
• United Kingdom
• Italy
• Germany
• Spain
• Asia Pacific
• China
• India
• Japan
• Australia
• South Korea
• South America
• Brazil
• Argentina
• Colombia
• Middle East & Africa
• South Africa
• Saudi Arabia
• UAE