Foods for Cancer
Overview
of Nutrition in Cancer Care
Cancer
and cancer treatments may cause nutrition-related side effects.
The
diet is an important part of cancer treatment. Eating the
right kinds of foods before, during, and after treatment
can help the patient feel better and stay stronger. To ensure
proper nutrition, a person has to eat and drink enough of
the foods that contain key nutrients (vitamins, minerals,
protein, carbohydrates, fat, and water). For many patients,
however, some side effects of cancer and cancer treatments
make it difficult to eat well. Symptoms that interfere with
eating include anorexia, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, constipation,
mouth sores, trouble with swallowing, and pain. Appetite,
taste, smell, and the ability to eat enough food or absorb
the nutrients from food may be affected. Malnutrition (lack
of key nutrients) can result, causing the patient to be
weak, tired, and unable to resist infections or withstand
cancer therapies. Eating too little protein and calories
is the most common nutrition problem facing many cancer
patients. Protein and calories are important for healing,
fighting infection, and providing energy.
Anorexia
and cachexia are common causes of malnutrition in cancer
patients.
Anorexia
(the loss of appetite or desire to eat) is a common symptom
in people with cancer. Anorexia may occur early in the disease
or later, when the tumor grows and spreads. Some patients
may have anorexia when they are diagnosed with cancer. Almost
all patients who have widespread cancer will develop anorexia.
Anorexia is the most common cause of malnutrition in cancer
patients.
Cachexia
is a wasting syndrome that causes weakness and a loss of
weight, fat, and muscle. It commonly occurs in patients
with tumors of the lung, pancreas, and upper gastrointestinal
tract and less often in patients with breast cancer or lower
gastrointestinal cancer. Anorexia and cachexia often occur
together. Weight loss can be caused by eating fewer calories,
using more calories, or a combination of the two. Cachexia
can occur in people who are eating enough, but who cannot
absorb the nutrients. Cachexia is not related to the tumor
size, type, or extent. Cancer cachexia is not the same as
starvation. A healthy person's body can adjust to starvation
by slowing down its use of nutrients, but in cancer patients,
the body does not make this adjustment.
Good
eating habits during cancer care help the patient cope with
the effects of the cancer and its treatment.
Nutrition
therapy can help cancer patients get the nutrients needed
to maintain body weight and strength, prevent body tissue
from breaking down, rebuild tissue, and fight infection.
Eating guidelines for cancer patients can be very different
from the usual suggestions for healthful eating. Nutrition
recommendations for cancer patients are designed to help
the patient cope with the effects of the cancer and its
treatment. Some cancer treatments are more effective if
the patient is well nourished and getting enough calories
and protein in the diet. People who eat well during cancer
treatment may even be able to handle higher doses of certain
treatments. Being well-nourished has been linked to a better
prognosis (chance of recovery).
Reference
citations in some PDQ Supportive Care information summaries
may include links to external Web sites that are operated
by individuals or organizations for the purpose of marketing
or advocating the use of specific treatments or products.
These reference citations are included for informational
purposes only. Their inclusion should not be viewed as an
endorsement of the content of the Web sites or of any treatment
or product by the PDQ Supportive Care Editorial Board or
the National Cancer Institute (NCI).
Angstrom Minerals Product And Price List
The information on this page has been extracted from http://www.cancer.gov/cancerinfo/pdq/supportivecare/nutrition
