The importance of nutritional support in cancer treatment: how to alleviate the side effects that accompany therapy

Author: Sandra Krstev Barać, Master of Nutrition

A proper, balanced diet is important for every individual, but it is especially important for cancer patients. The course of treatment and recovery depends largely on the patient's nutritional status, and with appropriate nutrition, it is possible to alleviate unpleasant side effects of therapy, speed up recovery, and improve the quality of life. Patients themselves are often highly motivated to change their diet, but "in the sea" of information that is easily available today, they may make wrong dietary decisions that will make treatment more difficult.

Therefore, one of the important steps in the treatment of malignant diseases is consulting with an educated nutritionist, whose role is not only to assess the nutritional status and risk of malnutrition, but also to help the patient adjust their diet and make informed decisions, especially when it comes to taking nutritional supplements, as well as "breaking" the misconceptions and popular beliefs that accompany this area.

In collaboration with a nutritionist, alleviate the side effects of treatment

In addition to assessing and monitoring the nutritional status of an oncology patient in order to recognize the risk of malnutrition in a timely manner and take supportive treatment measures, a nutritionist also plays an important role in alleviating the side effects of treatment related to nutrition.

It is known that specific oncology treatment can cause various side effects such as nausea and vomiting, diarrhea, constipation, changes in taste, mouth sores, difficulty chewing and swallowing, loss of appetite, dry mouth, fatigue, anemia, etc., which further complicates food intake and increases the risk of malnutrition. It is important that as a patient, you communicate all side effects with a nutritionist or professional because most side effects can be prevented or alleviated by timely dietary adjustments.

Just as an example, in case of painful swallowing, it is recommended to consume crushed or liquid food that will not further worsen the pain, while one of the tips for changes in taste is to use plastic cutlery. By alleviating unpleasant side effects, the quality of life can be greatly improved, ensuring better food intake, which ultimately provides more energy needed to fight disease.

Dietary supplements and malignant diseases – caution is the best approach

In today's age of easily accessible information, patients are exposed to both high-quality and numerous unprofessional and unfounded advice on how they should eat every day. If they do not find an educated expert, patients can easily get lost in a sea of information and make wrong and counterproductive decisions for their health. This problem is perhaps most visible with the various dietary supplements available on the market that bombastically promise a cure.

The fact is that the topic of dietary supplements for malignant diseases is extremely interesting to patients who are looking for a cure. Therefore, it is not surprising, their uncritical attitude towards advertising. According to research, more than 50% of oncology patients reach for preparations, most often without the knowledge of their doctor. However, extreme caution is needed here. While there are certain biologically active compounds whose supportive use in the treatment of diseases is increasingly being affirmed, such as the controlled use of vitamin D, curcumin, beta-glucan, eicosapentaenoic fatty acid and certain medicinal herbs and vitamin preparations, indiscriminate use of the products can reduce the effectiveness of the therapy, have a counterproductive effect and be dangerous to health, especially if the patient refuses standard treatment by resorting to so-called miracle preparations.

Keep in mind that dietary supplements are not subject to strict criteria for assessing safety and quality, as is the case with drugs, and that today you can buy anything over the internet, and from unverified sources. There is also the issue of the interaction of many substances with drugs, an area that is certainly not sufficiently researched, as is the lack of randomized clinical studies on this topic.

Therefore, preparations for malignant diseases should be taken in consultation with a doctor and nutritionist and as a support for standard therapy, not as an alternative to it, because only in this way can they have a beneficial effect and improve the patient's quality of life.

Do you have any more questions?

Cooperation and open communication with a nutritionist is an important link in disease therapy. If the specialist is familiar with all the nutritional problems that occur to you, it will be easier to choose a modality of nutritional intervention that can help. Some of the most common concerns that sufferers have include questions like:

· Is there a special diet for patients with malignant diseases?

· Can I consume soy if I have breast cancer?

· I hear that the juice diet gives great results, is it for me?

· Does sugar feed cancer?

· What should I eat to increase leukocyte levels?

· Is it safe to use antioxidants during oncology therapy?

· May I take probiotics to alleviate therapy-induced diarrhea?

If you have these or similar questions, be sure to consult a nutritionist who will give you all the necessary information to make the best decision. Remember, maintaining adequate nutritional status can influence prognosis, quality of life, and functional status, and improve the tolerability of therapy, which is why nutritional counseling is recommended for all patients as early as possible in the disease and why a nutritionist forms an important part of the multidisciplinary team in the treatment of malignant diseases.

Continue reading: Can I take antioxidants during cancer treatment?

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