How can cancer treatments affect my ability to eat?
Eating solid foods and drinking liquids can be impeded by anorexia, alterations in taste and smell, mucositis, dysphagia, stomatitis, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, constipation, malabsorption, pain, depression, and anxiety. Other factors, such as obesity and history of drug abuse, may increase the risk of malnutrition at presentation.
What are common side effects related to disease site?
Issues with eating are typically most notable with tumors involving the digestive tract or head and neck, owing to mechanical obstruction or dysfunction. Please refer to the table linked here to learn about common symptoms associated with various tumor locations.
How does treatments affect my ability to tolerate solid foods and liquids?
Cancer treatments may cause acute and chronic symptoms. Nutrition intervention is based on symptom management. Patients who maintain good nutrition are more likely to tolerate the side effects of treatment.
Adequate calories and protein can help maintain patient strength and keep healthy body weight. Side effects of cancer treatments vary among patients, depending on the type, length, and dose of treatments and the type of cancer being treated. Cancer treatment has toxic effects on the GI tract, including nausea, vomiting, constipation, diarrhea, xerostomia, mucositis, dysphagia, and loss of appetite.
Adequate calories and protein can help maintain patient strength and keep healthy body weight. Side effects of cancer treatments vary among patients, depending on the type, length, and dose of treatments and the type of cancer being treated. Cancer treatment has toxic effects on the GI tract, including nausea, vomiting, constipation, diarrhea, xerostomia, mucositis, dysphagia, and loss of appetite.
We linked a helpful table here to demonstrate common effects of various treatment groups.
Sources
- Martin L, Birdsell L, Macdonald N, et al.: Cancer cachexia in the age of obesity: skeletal muscle depletion is a powerful prognostic factor, independent of body mass index. J Clin Oncol 31 (12): 1539-47, 2013. [PUBMED Abstract]
- Huhmann M: Nutrition management of the surgical oncology patient. In: Leser M, Ledesma N, Bergerson S, et al., eds.: Oncology Nutrition for Clinical Practice. Chicago, Ill: Oncology Nutrition Dietetic Practice Group, 2018, pp 135-42.
- August DA, Huhmann M: Nutrition support of the cancer patient. In: Ross AC, Caballero B, Cousins RJ, et al., eds.: Modern Nutrition in Health and Disease. 11th ed. Philadelphia, Pa: Wolters Kluwer Health/Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, 2014, pp 1194-1213.
- Tisdale MJ: Pathogenesis of cancer cachexia. J Support Oncol 1 (3): 159-68, 2003 Sep-Oct.
- Grant BL: Nutritional effects of cancer treatment: chemotherapy, biotherapy, hormone therapy and radiation therapy. In: Leser M, Ledesma N, Bergerson S, et al., eds.: Oncology Nutrition for Clinical Practice. Chicago, Ill: Oncology Nutrition Dietetic Practice Group, 2018, pp 97-114.
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