Effects of Cancer Treatment on Nutrition

Nutrition and Chemotherapy | Protein Boosters | Immune System Boosters | Nutrition and Advanced Cancer

Everyone’s appetite is affected when they’re ill.  Add to that the unpleasantries of treatment for cancers such as mesothelioma, and you’ll find that appetite and sound nutrition are almost always compromised during a regimen of various cancer treatments.

The protocol for treatment of cancer patients varies from one case to the next.  Treatments may involve just one type of therapy or a combination of several.  In addition, treatment may be deemed therapeutic, which means that its intent is to cure or control the disease; or it may be palliative, which merely seeks to ease the symptoms of the disease and make the patient feel as good as possible.

Each treatment carries a different host of side affects but almost all will have some sort of implications as far as appetite or the ability to eat is concerned.  While there will be times that you simply can’t eat, when you are able to do so, it’s important to maintain as healthy an eating regimen as possible.

Chemotherapy

There’s no question about it.  Chemotherapy drugs are highly toxic and will certainly cause havoc inside your body.  Over the years, however, researchers have worked to make these drugs more specific to fighting particular cancer cells.  However, most still have some sort of affect on healthy cells as well.

One of the most uncomfortable and sometimes unbearable side affects of chemo is nausea and vomiting.  The two, of course, affect your ability to eat properly.  Many doctors are recommending less toxic levels of two different chemo drugs administered together in order to reduce nausea and vomiting.  Others offer anti-nausea drugs to chemo patients that seem susceptible to these side affects. 

For tips on maintaining good eating habits during chemotherapy, consult our page entitled maintaining good nutrition through chemotherapy.

Radiation

Radiation treatment uses focused beams of energy to destroy cancerous cells.  For mesothelioma patients, radiation therapy is often centered on the mouth, throat, esophagus, lungs, and intestines.  These are areas that, when affected by radiation, may make it difficult to eat, swallow, or digest.  Continuous therapy focused on these areas of the body may cause severe side affects. Be sure to speak with your doctor about eating during radiation.

Surgery