What is oncological nutrition?
Cancer patients often suffer appetite alterations caused, almost always, by the tumor itself and the medication to which they are exposed. The sense of taste is affected and the lack of appetite causes malnutrition in the patient and great weight loss. However, one third of patients suffer from malnutrition at the time of diagnosis, a percentage that increases after surgical treatment and/or radio-chemotherapy.
Therefore, oncological nutrition must ensure that the patient receives sufficient nutrients for the body to function properly during cancer treatment. It is therefore important to consider the easiest and most comfortable way to feed the patient.
Oncological nutrition ensures that the cancer patient receives the necessary nutrients and vitamins.
Why is it performed?
Oncological nutrition is performed to ensure that the cancer patient receives the nutrients and vitamins necessary for his or her body to function properly during treatment and post-treatment.
What does it consist of?
Oncological nutrition is based on increasing the intake of proteins and calories, presented in small amounts, at warm or cold temperature, with foods that are easy to digest and very nutritious. It is very important that the patient chews well and slowly, avoiding dishes and foods that are difficult to chew or that are cut into large pieces (meats). Drinking during meals is also not recommended, and a relaxed atmosphere should be created to mitigate the bad time that eating can cause for the patient, since many cancer patients suffer from problems associated with eating, such as vomiting, nausea or diarrhea.
In general, the more varied the diet and the greater the variety of foods, the richer it will be from a nutritional point of view. As part of a varied diet, saturated fats (pastries, cheese, sausages and meat) should be avoided and it should be rich in fruit, vegetables, fish and low-fat dairy products, as well as including nuts, rice, pasta and legumes.
Preparation for oncological nutrition
The recommendations for oncological diets should be personalized, since tolerance is very different from one patient to another. In addition, it should be taken into account that, in the same patient, tolerance to food can change in a short time, so that not only should the diet be personalized but the specialist in Nutrition and Dietetics should visit the patient frequently, to be able to modify the characteristics of the food and diet according to the evolution of the patient and the disease.
Care after the intervention
Care after oncological nutrition should be indicated by the specialist in Nutrition and Dietetics, since there are many factors that can be affected after cancer. Thus, the sense of taste may be altered, as well as other nutritional aspects, which must be assessed in detail (loss of weight or muscle mass, vitamin or iron deficiencies, among others).