DIET IN CANCER DISEASE

Appropriate nutrition is an important element of cancer therapy. The Amethyst Radiotherapy Center discusses this issue with patients Anna Stoch, M.Eng. food technology and human nutrition. In the interview, he debunks myths and provides important information for patients and their families.

Nutrition rules can also be seen in the presentation:

dietary indications in cancer patients

During cancer treatment, the diet has a different task than usual - instead of reducing calories, it doubles them. Why?

Patients who start therapy have caloric deficiencies, mainly protein deficiencies. During the disease, the body needs twice as much protein as in a healthy person, because the cancer consumes large amounts of it. Moreover, cancer patients need a lot of energy to regenerate. While healthy people need one gram of protein per kilogram of body weight, in a person devastated by disease the demand increases up to 2 grams. Meanwhile, patients often do not notice that they eat less and their appetite decreases automatically.

Unfortunately, many patients lose their appetite during treatment. What happens to the body then?

The treatment process takes much longer because such a patient does not provide his body with arginine, a substance contained in food that supports the wound healing process. Arginine occurs in natural protein products. In extreme cases of malnutrition, it may be necessary to temporarily suspend therapy. Therefore, diet is very important in the treatment process and in our center, patients are under the care of a dietitian from the first day of oncological therapy. They receive important dietary advice, and during the conversations I also combat existing nutritional myths.

What are these myths?

For example, that you should eat less so as not to feed the cancer. Such beliefs are very harmful. Tissue is destroyed during disease and treatment, so an appropriate amount of protein and nutrients must be provided to enable its regeneration. Nutritional deficiencies seriously hamper the healing process.

Eating problems are not just about lack of appetite. Some patients have, for example, swallowing problems.

This is what happens in the treatment of head and neck cancer. Salivary glands function worse, dry mouth makes swallowing difficult. We then recommend liquid, mixed products that are easy to swallow. You can use preparations available in the pharmacy - they are thick, sweet, and contain a lot of protein and minerals in a small, accumulated volume. Such a diet does not have to be boring. You can use nutridrink to prepare, for example, pancakes or desserts, to break the routine and eat your favorite dish. Nutritional problems may also occur in the case of radiotherapy for pelvic and abdominal cancer. If neither liquid nor semi-liquid products are an option, the patient can be referred to a hospital ward and enteral nutrition should be initiated.

What can be recommended from traditional food if the patient does not have to follow a liquid diet?

We focus on protein, which the patient gets from white meat - turkey, chicken, rabbit. It is more delicate than red and the body is not additionally overloaded with digestion. You can also choose sea and freshwater fish - preferably steamed or boiled, they have anti-inflammatory properties thanks to unsaturated fats. Red meat has more iron, but it is not recommended during therapy because, for example, pork increases inflammation. I recommend dairy products in the form of milk, kefir, buttermilk, yogurt, as well as groats, rice, and pasta as additions. It is good for patients to eat vegetables and fruits, although preferably not raw, because they are difficult to digest. It is worth appreciating the popular carrots, beets, celery, pumpkin and parsley. It is better to eat vegetables and fruits according to their growing season. Winter tomatoes have little nutritional value to offer. Let's reach for pickles that complement the bacterial flora. However, you must remember that there are products that may increase diarrhea, intestinal pain and colic during therapy, so it is always worth consulting your diet with a specialist.

Not all patients are willing to follow the principles of healthy eating. Some people do not use them at all, while others sometimes break them.

Many patients cannot refuse chips. Only when they get sick do they start listening to advice. When we have cancer, we are fighting for our lives, so our current habits need to be verified. It's like with sunbathing - we explain to patients that they should not sunbathe areas exposed to radiation because it causes additional irritation of sensitive skin. Unfortunately, there are patients who do not protect themselves from the sun and suffer burns. However, we dietitians are not only supporters of a strict nutritional regime. We know that flexibility is also needed. If the patient definitely does not want to give up a certain product, we advise him to at least reduce its consumption, because the most important thing is to eat enough.

 Is a glass of red wine allowed during therapy?

I strongly advise against taking it during treatment, because alcohol destroys cells and weakens the body. Both alcohol and cigarettes are not recommended. Flavonoids found in red wine can be provided to the body by eating grapes, citrus fruits, broccoli, tomatoes and peppers.

How should patients eat after completing therapy?

According to general recommendations, the diet can be modified and expanded one month after completing radiotherapy. However, if we see that the patient is in good condition, we try it earlier, already in the second week. Remember to eat a variety of foods. It is worth using alternatively dark bread - rye, wholemeal, graham. We emphasize regular eating of fruits and vegetables that are rich in antioxidants and minerals. Diversity applies here too. One day you can eat an apple, the next day a nectarine, the third day grapes. Vitamin C is best provided by naturally cloudy juices - for example, acerola juice. It is worth including legumes containing B vitamins and cabbage in your diet. You can't forget about walnuts, which supplement selenium. Many studies show that green tea has health-promoting effects. Such a varied diet is not only healthy, but also very tasty.