Importance of Nutrition for Cancer Patients: Tips on Proper Nutrition for Cancer

Importance of Nutrition for Cancer Patients: Tips on Proper Nutrition for Cancer
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Good nutrition is vitally important for cancer patients before, during, and after treatment. Good nutrition has positive effects on the outcome of cancer treatment (Ose et al. 1998), yet nutrition is challenging for cancer patients during treatment.

Several factors make malnutrition a risk for cancer patients. Many cancer treatments affect the patient’s appetite. Chemotherapy is notorious for causing severe nausea and vomiting. Also, some treatments interfere with the body’s ability to absorb nutrients from food. (ACS 2008)

Side effects of cancer treatment that make it hard for patients to eat include gastrointestinal symptoms (nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, constipation); sore or dry mouth, sore throat, and dental problems; changes in the senses of taste and smell; and fatigue and mood problems (ACS 2008).

Importance of Nutrition

While adequate nutrition is important for everyone, both healthy and sick, it has important benefits specific to the person undergoing cancer treatment. Cancer treatment kills cancer cells, but also to varying degrees damages healthy cells.

Good nutrition helps cancer patients maintain energy levels and avoid significant or dangerous weight loss. It helps them heal more quickly from surgeries and other procedures and strengthens the immune system, helping them avoid infection. It helps them endure the side effects of treatment. And it simply helps them to feel better. (ACS 2008)

Formulating a Nutrition Plan

Many factors affect nutrition for cancer patients. Therefore, developing a nutrition plan requires collaboration among the treatment team, including doctors, nurses, and registered dieticians (Capra et al. 2001; Ose et al. 1998; ACS 2008).

Nutritional screening is an important aspect of overall treatment. All cancer patients should be frequently screened for signs of malnutrition, which includes monitoring for side effects such as nausea and vomiting and tracking weight and food intake (Capra et al. 2001).

Some patients are able to get all their necessary nutrition through regular food and dietary supplements. People undergoing cancer treatment may tolerate food and supplements better when they are not receiving chemotherapy or radiation therapy, since a common side effect of these therapies is loss of appetite, nausea, and vomiting. New foods and supplements are best tried on non-treatment days (Capra et al. 2001).

Ordinary eating is inadequate for some patients, whose appetite may be too poor to allow them to eat enough. These patients may require enteral nutrition (feeding tubes) to maintain good nutrition.

In certain cases, such as when the cancer or treatment compromises the gastrointestinal tract, an extreme method called total parenteral nutrition (TPN) may be necessary. TPN is the provision of nutrients intravenously, directly into the bloodstream. TPN bypasses the patient’s digestive system altogether. By following a nutrition plan, cancer patients can help ensure the best possible outcome of their treatment. Malnutrition can be avoided even in advanced cancer.

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