Expert consensus on adjunctive therapy and dietary intervention of medicinal and food homologous substances for colorectal cancer (2026 Edition)

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a common malignant gastrointestinal neoplasm that poses a serious threat to human health, with its incidence and mortality steadily increasing worldwide. Under the dual insults of hypermetabolic consumption caused by aberrant tumor proliferation and the cytotoxic effects of anticancer therapies such as surgery, radiotherapy, and chemotherapy, patients with CRC experience exceedingly high rates of malnutrition and cachexia. Malnutrition not only substantially reduces patients’ tolerance to conventional antitumor regimens and increases the risks of postoperative complications and infections, but also significantly shortens overall survival and aggravates the financial burden on healthcare systems. In recent years, a growing body of evidence‑based medicine from in vitro cellular experiments, animal models, and clinical randomized controlled trials (RCTs) has demonstrated that scientifically based nutritional therapy and dietary intervention can markedly improve the prognosis of cancer patients. Among these, medicinal and food homologous (MFH) substances—which combine the safety profile of food with the multi‑targeted therapeutic characteristics of traditional Chinese medicine—have shown unique advantages in the comprehensive management of CRC. Mechanistic studies have confirmed that these agents can block the inflammation‑to‑cancer transition by downregulating key pro‑inflammatory cytokines, induce programmed cell death in tumor cells, ameliorate gut dysbiosis, and exert significant “synergistic effects and toxicity reduction” during chemoradiotherapy, thereby holistically enhancing patients’ quality of life and immune function. To better translate the theoretical framework of medical nutritional intervention using MFH substances into clinical practice and to standardize their application as adjunctive therapy for CRC, this consensus, developed by a multidisciplinary expert panel, systematically reviews the latest foundational and clinical evidence regarding MFH intervention in CRC from both domestic and international sources. Based on traditional Chinese medicine properties and modern pharmacological mechanisms, this consensus provides a detailed evaluation of the efficacy and safety of various MFH categories, and establishes a pragmatic clinical pathway for individualized dietary nutrition prescriptions that spans the entire continuum of CRC care—from prevention, through the perioperative and chemoradiotherapy phases, to the rehabilitation period. This consensus aims to offer scientific and standardized practical guidance for clinicians, clinical nutritionists, and nursing staff, with the ultimate goal of further optimizing comprehensive therapeutic strategies for CRC patients.