Cancer and its treatment can cause side effects associated with nutritional problems. Diet is an important part in cancer treatment. Eating the right foods before, during and after treatment can help patients feel better and stronger. To ensure proper nutrition, people should eat and drink foods that contain key nutrients (vitamins, minerals, proteins, carbohydrates, fat and water) in sufficient quantities.
Symptoms that interfere with eating include anorexia, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, constipation (constipation), mouth sores, trouble swallowing, and pain. Appetite, taste, smell and ability to eat enough food or absorb nutrients from food may be affected. Malnutrition (lack of essential nutrients) can result in patient becomes weak, tired, and unable to resist infections or withstand cancer therapies. Consumption of protein and calories too little is the most common nutrition problem facing many cancer patients. Protein and calories are important for healing, fighting infection, and provide energy.
Common causes of malnutrition in cancer patients.
Anorexia - ome patients may have anorexia when they are diagnosed with cancer. Almost all patients suffering from cancer will develop anorexia.
Cachexia - a wasting syndrome that causes weak, losing weight, fat and muscle. Often occurs in patients with tumors in the lung, pancreas, and upper gastrointestinal tract.
Effect of Cancer on Nutrition
Cancer can change
the way the body uses food. Tumors may produce chemicals that change the way
the body uses certain nutrients. The use of protein, carbohydrate and fat may
be affected, particularly in tumors of the stomach or intestines.
Medications can help relieve cancer symptoms and side effects that cause weight loss.
Early treatment of cancer symptoms and side effects that affect eating and losing weight is important. Nutritional therapy and drugs can help patients maintain a healthy weight.
Effects of Cancer Treatment on Nutrition
Effect of Surgery on Nutrition
Surgery increases the body's need for nutrients and energy. The body needs extra energy and nutrients to heal wounds, fight infection, and recover from surgery. If the patient is malnourished before surgery, there may be complications during recovery, such as poor healing or infection.
Effect of Chemotherapy on Nutrition
Chemotherapy can affect the entire body
Chemotherapy is a cancer treatment that uses drugs to stop the growth of cancer cells, either by killing the cells or by stopping cell division. Because chemotherapy targets cells that divide quickly, healthy cells that normally grow and divide rapidly may also be affected by this cancer treatment. These include cells in the mouth and gastrointestinal tract.
Effect of Bone Marrow Transplantation and Stem Cells (Stem Cell) on Nutrition
Patient's bone marrow transplant and stem cells have special nutritional needs. Transplantation of bone marrow and stem cells is a method to replace blood-forming cells destroyed by cancer treatment with chemotherapy or high dose radiation therapy. Stem cells (cells are immature blood) taken from the patient or donor bone marrow, and frozen for storage. After completion of chemotherapy and radiation therapy, stem cells are stored and then thawed and given back to the patient through an infusion. In a short time, the cells were reinfused stem will grow into the body's blood cells. Chemotherapy, radiation therapy, and medications used in the transplant process may cause side effects that prevent patients from eating and digesting food as usual.
The benefits and risks of nutrition support vary for each patient.
Decision support tools nutris use should be made with the following considerations:
• Is the quality of life will be better?
• What are the possible benefits outweigh the risks and costs?
• Is there an advanced directive? A warrant is a written instruction about the provision of health care or power of attorney if the patient can no longer make his or her wishes.
• What are the wishes and needs of families?
Cancer patients and caregivers have the right to take decisions based on adequate information. Health team, with guidance from a registered dietitian, should inform patients and caregivers about the benefits and risks of using nutrition support in advanced disease. In many cases, the risks outweigh the benefits. However, for people who still have good quality of life but can not eat and drink by mouth, enteral nutrition can be run. Parenteral support is not usually appropriate. Advantages and disadvantages of enteral nutrition asumpan include:
Benefits:
a. Increases alertness
b. Peace for the family member can
c. Can reduce nausea
d. Can reduce the sense of despair and fear of abandonment
a. Increases alertness
b. Peace for the family member can
c. Can reduce nausea
d. Can reduce the sense of despair and fear of abandonment
Risk:
a. May cause diarrhea or constipation (constipation)
b. Can increase nausea
c. Need surgery to put tubes into the abdomen
d. Increase the risk of choking or pneumonia
e. Increase the risk of infection
f. Increasing the burden for caregivers
Current guidelines for improving the health and general welfare, among others:
• Eat foods that are rich in nutrition, within the limits of the right calories.
• Maintain a healthy weight.
• Exercise regularly.
• Eat a variety of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and low-fat dairy products every day.
• Reduce consumption of fat and avoid trans fatty acids (trans fats).
• Frequent consumption of grains, fruits, and vegetables rich in fiber.
• Reduce consumption of foods that contain lots of salt. Choose more foods rich in potassium (like bananas, spinach and potatoes).
• Those who drink alcohol should not consume alcohol in quantities too much. In fact, certain people should avoid alcohol altogether.
• Keep food safety when preparing, storing and serving food.
Cancer Prevention
Diet and fitness guidelines below can help reduce the risk of cancer:
• Eat plenty of vegetables. Eat at least 5 servings of fruits and vegetables every day. Enter your nuts in your diet and eat grain products (such as cereals, breads and pasta) several times a day.
• Choose foods low in fat.
• Choose foods low in salt.
• Obtain and maintain a healthy weight.
• Make sure your body is active at least 30 minutes every day of the week.
• Limit alcoholic beverages.
• Create and store food safely.
• Do not use tobacco in any form.
By reading the above explanation, we will know that nutrition is closely linked with cancer. For that, note the correct diet you eat. (*)
