Caloric intake was studied in 89 cancer patients who recorded diet diaries. Twenty-five percent had caloric intake below their calculated basal energy expenditure (BEE). An additional 45% had caloric intakes between 1.0 and 1.5 x BEE. Patients reported symptoms referable to the oronasal area and the gastrointestinal tract as possible factors in decreased eating. Food intake is controlled by several categories of cues and one or more of these may be altered in cancer patients to decrease caloric intake.