AUSTIN, Minn. ― People eat to fuel their body. This gives patients strength and stamina to power through the day.
At no time is this more important than when a person is undergoing treatment for cancer. Chemotherapy and radiation treatments, whether lifesaving or life-preserving, can take a toll on a person's body and significantly affect the diet.
"Chemotherapy not only kills rapidly dividing cancer cells, but also it can destroy fast-growing healthy cells," says Rose Prissel, a Mayo Clinic dietitian. "This may cause nausea or appetite changes, leading patients to consume fewer calories than needed. Other treatments can cause uncomfortable dry mouth, diarrhea or constipation. Fortunately, these side effects can be lessened or even overcome and thereby improve nutrition during treatment."
