Three weeks before I underwent radiation therapy in Sep 2006, my oncologist advised me to put on as much weight as I possibly could. A doctor friend gave me the same advice too. She added that I should eat all kinds of food to help me gain weight in the shortest possible time. At that time I weighed just about 46kg. I took their advice seriously and managed to put on 4kg within 3 weeks. That was no mean feat! And it was good advice for I later lost a total of 8kg.
But why is nutrition so important to cancer patients? Below are some answers I obtained from trusted websites.
from cancer.gov
• 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).
• Good eating habits help the patient cope with the effects of cancer and its treatment.
from a Norwegian research, “The Importance of Nutrition for Cancer Patients”
(published by National Centre for Biotechnology Information)
• Good nutrition and nutritional therapy are important for cancer patients before, during and after treatment.
• The goal for the dietary advices and the nutritional therapy is to maintain or improve the nutritional status of cancer patients.
• This seems to have beneficial effects on the oncological therapy.
from curesearch.org
• Proper nutrition is important for you while you receive cancer therapy.
• By eating well, you can stay stronger, tolerate your treatments and their side effects better, and continue to grow and thrive.
• Eating well means eating a variety of foods to get all the essential nutrients for growth, plus additional things you need to help fight your illness.
• Essential nutrients include protein, carbohydrates, fat, water, vitamins and minerals.
from cancer.ca
• Good nutrition is vital at every stage of your cancer treatment.
• Eating well gives you energy, helps you feel better and keeps your body strong so that you can cope with side effects from treatment.
• It will also help you heal and recover after treatment.
from cancer.net
• Eating well can improve your overall health & well-being and help you have more energy and less fatigue.
from a talk given by an SGH dietician at NPC Support Group
Good nutrition is important for you because it :
• helps you feel better & keeps up your strength and energy
• maintains your weight & preserves your body’s store of nutrients
• helps you tolerate treatment-related side-effects better
• decreases your risk of infection
• helps you recover faster
I hope the above has convinced you of the importance of nutrition. In subsequent weeks, I will share further tips on nutrition for people with nose cancer.
References
National Cancer Institute USA
http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/pdq/supportivecare/nutrition/Patient
National Centre for Biotechnology Information
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9800498
CureSearch
http://www.curesearch.org/for_patients/intreatment/article.aspx?ArticleId=3316&StageId=14&TopicId=92&Level=1
http://www.cancer.ca/ontario/about%20cancer/coping%20with%20cancer/nutrition.aspx?sc_lang=en
American Society of Clinical Oncology
http://www.cancer.net/patient/Library/Cancer.Net+Features/Guidance+and+Support/Grocery+Shopping+Made+Easier
