Clinical Nutrition
Milano
Via Giacomo Venezian, 1, 20133 Milano MI
The unit aims to treat and prevent malnutrition in patients with cancer, with a view to optimising cancer treatments and ensuring an acceptable quality of life. It operates in accordance with the latest guidelines from the European Society for Clinical Nutrition and Metabolism (ESPEN), collaborating across all medical and surgical departments within the institute. It ensures that patients with nutritional problems receive a comprehensive assessment of their nutritional status and the development of a programme that may include dietary counselling and artificial nutrition, which is regularly reviewed throughout the entire course of cancer treatment.
Patients who are cancer-free but suffer from chronic complications resulting from previous treatments are also cared for, such as actinic enteritis, short bowel syndrome, dysphagia following radiotherapy or surgery, or other related issues.
The unit serves as a centre of excellence for home artificial nutrition. Consequently, where necessary, it facilitates the provision, by the relevant local health services, of the products and equipment required to continue nutritional therapy at home, ensuring regular monitoring in the outpatient clinic.
How to access the outpatient clinic
To book an initial consultation, please contact the Central Booking Office with a referral form marked ‘initial dietetic consultation’. Telephone: (+39) 02 2390 1
Bookings for follow-up appointments are handled directly by the clinic staff during outpatient visits or consultations carried out during your hospital stay. Patients who need to change or rebook a follow-up appointment should contact the clinic using the details provided.
The clinic’s clinical work aims to improve or maintain the nutritional status of cancer patients, supporting them throughout their treatment journey. This can improve treatment tolerance and quality of life.
The unit operates through:
- assessment and monitoring of nutritional status
- body composition assessment (BIA)
- measurement of basal metabolic rate (indirect calorimetry)
- assessment of nutritional requirements
- dietary history
- design of nutritional programmes
- nutritional counselling
- development of personalised dietary plans
- implementation of artificial nutrition (oral supplementation, enteral and parenteral nutrition)
- initiation and monitoring of home-based artificial nutrition (oral supplementation, enteral and parenteral nutrition)
Clinical activity is divided into in-house services, carried out within the institute’s clinical wards, and out-of-house services, carried out at outpatient clinics. It involves the coordinated efforts of all staff members: doctors, nurses and dietitians, who work in close collaboration with colleagues from other facilities.
The unit’s research aims to identify the optimal timing and most appropriate methods for the use of nutritional therapy in various types of cancer and at different stages of cancer treatment.
The current areas of study are:
- Gastrointestinal cancer
- Head and neck cancer
- Breast cancer
- Rare cancers (paediatric and sarcomas)
The centre collaborates with the University of Milan to provide theoretical and practical training for students enrolled on the Postgraduate School in Food Science, the Bachelor’s Degree in Dietetics, and the Level I Master’s Degree in Nutrition and Dietetics Applied to Cancer Patients.
Since 2005, members of the staff have been collaborating with the Italian Society of Artificial Nutrition and Metabolism (www.sinpe.it) to deliver basic training courses in artificial nutrition at a regional level and participate as speakers at national courses and conferences.
The unit also runs in-house courses for medical and nursing staff on the monitoring and nutritional management of inpatients.
Dr.ssa Della Valle Serena
Responsabile struttura
Dietisti:
Silvia Colatruglio
Sabrina Corvasce
Alessandro Misotti
Collaboratori:
Valentina Ferri (medico)
Giorgia Preziati (dietista)
Last update: 15/04/2026