Health Guide

Diet and the Cancer Patient Side Effects

Treatments kill cancer cells but they also kill healthy cells. This can cause side effects such as:
Loss of appetite
sore mouth or throat
dry mouth
dental and gum problems
changes in taste or smell
Nausea
Diarrhea
Constipation
fatigue
depression.
It is very important to have good nutrition to minimize the side effects of cancer, prevent or reverse nutritional deficiencies, and to maximize the quality of life.
The best method of calorie intake is by mouth. Sometimes this is not possible.
Other options of intake are:
Feeding Tube
TPN or total parental nutrition- this is nutrition directly through a vein.