Diet - cancer treatment

Definition

People with cancer need special nutritional planning and management.

Alternative Names

Function

People with cancer are at risk for developing nutritional deficiencies. The deficiencies may be the result of the cancer itself, or the side effects of common cancer treatments such as surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation therapy.

Malignancies directly compromise nutritional status by altering metabolism and causing loss of appetite. Changes in metabolism include an increased basal metabolic rate and increased spending of energy. This increase in energy use means you'll require more calories to maintain your current weight and lean body mass.

There are also individual alterations in carbohydrate, protein, and fat metabolism. These changes lead to the loss of muscle and fat stores. Cancer-associated loss of appetite is probably the result of physical changes but may also be due to a psychological response to the disease.

There are several factors that may contribute to the type and degree of nutrient deficiencies:

• The primary organ where the cancer occurs
• The severity of the cancer at the time of diagnosis
• The symptoms experienced by the person with cancer
• The type and frequency of the cancer treatment being used (surgery, radiation, or chemotherapy) and the side effects associated with that treatment
• The effect of the cancer or disease on food and nutrient ingestion, tolerance, and utilization