Common Eating Problems During Cancer Treatment
Cancer treatments include chemotherapy, radiotherapy (radiation), immunotherapy, surgery, or a combination of any of these, depending on your cancer. Many chemotherapies and radiation treatments cause side effects like nausea, vomiting, dry mouth, diarrhea, fatigue, poor appetite, mucositis, and other symptoms.
Side effects vary depending on your treatment and cancer, affecting how you tolerate drinks and foods to nourish and maintain weight.
A high-calorie, high-protein diet often is the best during cancer treatment to prevent weight loss; however, you may need to adjust your diet when having side effects and choose the right foods to help through side effect management. Once side effects resolve, you should return to your high-calorie, high-protein diet, especially if you have lost weight.
Many helpful medications and changing your eating can help meet your nutritional goals during treatment. Once treatment ends, many eating problems go away, and others might stay longer. This section provides nutrition therapy when you have treatment side effects to help maximize the number of nutrients you eat at challenging times.
Remember that side effects vary from person to person, even among people receiving the same type of cancer treatment.
Inform your provider or dietitian immediately if you start having eating problems. Your provider and dietitian can tell you more about the types of eating issues you might expect and ways to manage them.
Eating During Cancer Treatment
During treatment, you may have good days and bad days when it comes to food. On your good days, focus on replenishing your body with the foods and fluids mentioned above to help you recover and feel better.
During the bad days and might not feel like eating, try following the nutrition therapy for the specific side effects you are dealing with at those times to maximize your nutrient intake and prevent weight loss.
Don't be afraid to try new foods - some things you never liked may taste good during treatment! Your cancer care team can help you identify your nutrition goals and plan ways to help you reach them.
Because everyone is different, there is no way to know if you will have eating problems and, if so, how bad they will be.
An oncology dietitian can help you with any dietary changes you may need through cancer and cancer treatment.