Diet in cancer and proper nutrition is one of the important factors that support treatment and improve the tolerance of radio- and chemotherapy.
Why should cancer patients consult a dietitian?
Diet during the treatment of tumour diseases. What is the role of a dietitian? Patients often face complications on their own. In departments, they rarely seek help from a dietitian. Patients with head and neck tumours undergoing radiotherapy have problems, for example, with consuming acidic foods. Eating often causes pain. The same applies to people after face and mouth transplants. Immediately after surgery, there are problems with opening the mouth and eating. Cancer patients should switch to a liquid diet. They are advised to eat light foods and choose dishes that are not too hot, but not cold either. They should also avoid spicy dishes. During radiotherapy, patients should avoid certain food groups, including heavy foods, raw vegetables, fruits, and raw milk. However, patients often consume large amounts of these products during radiotherapy. A dietitian helps the patient choose and adhere to a diet that plays a key role in the treatment process! Most often, women fighting cervical and breast cancer undergoing radio and chemotherapy seek help.
Diet and cancer. Severe malnutrition is a huge problem for patients!
Some patients develop severe exhaustion during treatment due to lack of appetite or taste. Cancer and the treatment used increase energy needs. If not properly replenished, this leads to rapid weight loss and muscle mass loss. For the patient, this means not only less strength to fight cancer and a higher risk of infection. It also means a worse prognosis, but also many complications and a longer hospital stay. According to the National Cancer Institute, up to 40% of patients die not from cancer, but from malnutrition! According to other data, by 2020, one in four people may develop cancer! The key point is both prevention and the earliest possible diagnosis of patients at risk of malnutrition or already exhausted patients. This will improve patients' quality of life, reduce the risk of complications and mortality, and also reduce treatment costs.
Diet in cancer – dietary recommendations for patients The most important advice for cancer patients:
each patient should always be approached individually. Everyone may struggle with different eating problems, lack of appetite, dry mouth, diarrhoea, constipation, and flatulence. It is very important to choose certain foods and limit those that may exacerbate these ailments. This is the essence of nutritional support for patients undergoing intensive cancer treatment. The diet of cancer patients should be calorie-dense and protein-rich. It is worth increasing the amount of foods that are sources of beneficial protein, such as eggs, dairy products, and lean fish. People with milk intolerance should replace it in their diet with fermented dairy products, i.e., yoghurts and cheeses. On the other hand, patients who feel unwell after consuming raw vegetables and fruits should eat them in the form of cooked products and mousses or baked. It is important not to exclude them from their diet! If patients struggle with loss of appetite and weight loss, they should try to provide a large number of calories in a small portion of food. This can be achieved by adding butter, good quality oil, yoghurt, cream to soups. It is important to exclude fatty and fried foods that remain in the digestive tract for a long time. Patients should try to eat about 5 meals a day, which should have the right consistency. Some patients with head and neck cancer cannot eat solid food. Enteral or parenteral nutrition should be considered for those who have difficulty with oral intake and patients who rapidly lose weight in a short time. This is necessary to reduce the risk of developing malnutrition. The diet in cancer should be varied but adapted to the condition, well-being, needs, and capabilities of the patient. A dietitian helps to adhere to the correct diet, which is crucial for the course of treatment.
Antioxidants in the diet of cancer patients
There are a number of foods with a high content of antioxidants. Their consumption reduces the risk of developing cancer or recurrence (cruciferous, allium plants, green tea, fruits, and vegetables). High consumption of some foods or lack of others in the diet has a carcinogenic effect, i.e., increases the risk of developing cancer.