AUSTIN, Minn. ― People eat to fuel their body. This offers patients strength and stamina to power through the day.
At no time is that this more vital than when an individual is undergoing treatment for cancer. Chemotherapy and radiation treatments, whether lifesaving or life-preserving, can take a toll on an individual’s body and significantly affect the eating regimen.
“Chemotherapy not only kills rapidly dividing cancer cells, but in addition it might probably destroy fast-growing healthy cells,” says Rose Prissel, a Mayo Clinic dietitian. “This may occasionally cause nausea or appetite changes, leading patients to eat fewer calories than needed. Other treatments may cause uncomfortable dry mouth, diarrhea or constipation. Fortunately, these unintended effects could be lessened and even overcome and thereby improve nutrition during treatment.”
One among the things patients and caregivers ask about is weight changes during treatment. Generally, if a patient loses greater than 3 kilos in a single week, it is important to find if the loss was intentional or unintentional. If it’s intentional, the patient’s care team will discuss why this is happening and be certain that treatment plans are going well.
“If the burden loss is unintentional, it is important to hunt down the cause and supply support. It is important to avoid a rapid decline in weight because muscle tissue is being broken down during treatment. This may result in further lack of the patient’s stamina,” says Prissel.
Weight reduction also may cause a poor appetite. This can be a common side effect during cancer treatment.
“To enhance nutrition during this time, it helps to plan for small, frequent meals,” adds Prissel. “That could be daunting because patients and caregivers may not have the energy to make multiple meals every day. One method to get around that is to order a portion of what would have been normally eaten during breakfast, lunch and dinner for a fourth small meal. This makes it easier to plan and schedule additional meals with less work.”
Damage to the stomach and intestinal lining during cancer treatment may cause nausea and vomiting. “Just a few things that will help can be selecting easily digestible foods, corresponding to refined carbohydrates like white bread and potatoes. Also, avoid high-fiber, high protein foods, as these foods take longer to digest.
Eat small, frequent meals to avoid overloading the stomach.
Some cancer treatments and medications may cause dehydration and decreased saliva production, which might result in uncomfortable dry mouth. Prissel says increasing fluid intake and chewing gum or sucking on candy or ice chips will help offset that from happening.
“Other unintended effects of some chemotherapy and radiation treatments can include a sore throat or mouth. This may make eating and drinking uncomfortable and painful. Eating hot or cold foods could irritate this so eat foods which are moderate temperature or eat foods which are bland or soft.,” says Prissel. “Diarrhea can be an uncomfortable problem, or an indication of something more serious. Limiting dairy, avoiding caffeine, and eating soft low fiber foods can assist from avoiding diarrhea from leading into other problems, corresponding to severe dehydration.”
It is important for patients to do what they will to take care of calorie, protein and fluid intake during cancer treatment. Prissel says following dietary guidelines offered by your health care team will help patients maintain their strength and stamina during treatment.
“In some cases, corresponding to advanced cancer, eating may not affect the final result of their illness or treatment. In these situations, attempting to follow specific dietary guidelines, corresponding to adhering to a low-sodium or low-fat eating regimen, is probably not practical. Patients should talk with their care team about what they will expect during treatment and the way long symptoms could last — and discuss all their symptoms with their health care team, especially those who affect their eating regimen,” Prissel says.