The importance of good diet during treatment

The National Cancer Institute recommends nutritional screening and assessment before cancer treatment in order to make the best nutritional therapy plan and to identify a patient's nutritional risks. Nutrition therapy can help alleviate some of the side effects of the treatment. For patients in active treatment, nutrition therapy attempts to prevent or correct malnutrition and deterioration of muscle, bone, blood, organs and helps the patient tolerate treatment. Maintaining strength and energy and protecting the body against infection are very important.

Nutrition therapy is a branch of palliative care that focuses on improving quality of life. Reducing the side effects and risk of infection are imperative as well, since many patients' immune systems may be suppressed in varying degrees because of medication or chosen anticancer treatment. Helpful forms may be nutritional supplement drinks, Enternal (tube feeding) or Parenteral nutrition, or certain medications. Carbonated drinks should be avoided, and if regularity becomes a problem, fiber should be increased in small amounts and accompanied with a lot of water.

Enternal nutrition, also known as tube feeding, is when nutrients in liquid form are administered to a patient via a tube inserted into the stomach or small intestine, when patients can consume some solid food, but not enough to satisfy their body's need for nutrients, entertnal nutrition is used.

Parenteral nutrition provides the necessary nutrients directly into the blood stream for patients who cannot take in food orally. To administer parenteral nutrition, the health care team places either a central venous catheter in a large vein in the chest, or a peripheral venous catheter into a vein in the arm. Once a patient is gradually weaned off of parenteral nutrition, the ideal foods to begin with for oral feeding are milkshakes, yogurt, ice cream, and finger foods such as devilled eggs, cream cheese and peanut butter on crackers.

Diets for dealing with treatment side effects

Radiation therapy uses high-energy x-rays or other types of radiation to kill cancer cells, oftentimes also killing healthy cells along the way. Radiation therapy to any part of the digestive system is likely to cause numerous nutrition-related side effects. Nutritional supplement drinks between meals is suggested, along with Enternal nutrition and adjusting the intake of calorie and protein-rich foods.

If a patient is suffering from low white blood cell count, which is one result of radiation therapy and chemotherapy, special attention should be paid to expiration dates and cans that are swollen, dented, or damaged, as these signs can indicate bacterial contamination which the weakened immune system will be less able to fight. Leftovers should be refrigerated within two hours of cooking and should be eaten within 24 hours. Salad bars and buffets should be avoided, and raw eggs or raw fish should not be consumed by anyone with a low white blood call count.

In its attempt to eliminate rapidly growing cancer cells, chemotherapy oftentimes also wipes out a body's healthy cells, thereby weakening the patient and possibly affecting the digestive system. The health care team may recommend supplements high in calories and protein or Enternal nutrition if the patient cannot take in solid foods.

National Cancer Institute on nutrition in cancer care

One of the most common side effects of treatment is change of taste. Often patients find the taste of food so changed that it becomes detrimental to the experience of consuming food—even foods that the patient loved before treatment. Methods for fighting this include consuming citrus fruits, using plastic utensils to avoid a metallic taste, rinsing the mouth before eating, and eating small meals with healthy snacks between meals. Eating with family and friends can also encourage the patient eat adequate quantities.

Anorexia, dry mouth, and dehydration

Mesothelioma treatment

Palliative treatment

**For a FREE information packet including treatments, clinical trials, and specialists, please complete the form above or call a Mesothelioma Web coordinator at 1-877-367-6376.

News

Resources

If you would like to receive a FREE information packet or have questions about mesothelioma, call us at:

Toll-Free 1-877-367-6376