Food is vital in battling cancer
Food is vital in battling cancer

Food is one of the best medicines for battling cancer, doctors and dietitians say.

A proper diet can mean the difference between a tolerable experience and a horrible one.

Eating too little protein and too few calories is the most common nutritional problem for cancer patients, according to the National Cancer Institute.

Study of the roles food, nutrition and physical activity play in cancer survival is at an early stage, according to a report by the American Institute for Cancer Research and the World Cancer Research Fund.

Cancer often causes loss of appetite, and treatments can cause poor absorption of nutrients and nausea.

Cancer also can lead to a cachexia, in which patients waste away. It commonly occurs in patients who have tumors of the lungs, pancreas and upper gastrointestinal tract, according to the National Cancer Institute, and is the "immediate cause of death” in 20 to 40 percent of cancer patients.

"They lose their appetite. They lose their desire to eat,” said Dr. James Flynn, clinical director of oncology for Cancer Treatment Centers of America, said of the little-understood condition. Flynn is based at the treatment center's Tulsa campus.

A patient with cancer in the head or neck could have trouble swallowing because of side effects from chemotherapy or radiation.

"You're making the ice thinner if you don't take care of those (nutritional) options,” Flynn said.

"There's just so much to know with oncology,” she said.

When Campbell and others assess a patient's nutritional needs, they look for specific deficiencies. A person may eat too little protein or may need zinc to help restore taste.

"There's no one food, no supplement, not one diet out there that is proven to beat cancer,” Campbell said.

Sheradee Hurst, a spokeswoman for Saint Anthony Hospital, said cancer patients can be susceptible to infection from bacteria on fresh fruits and vegetables because their immune systems are compromised. These patients may be restricted from eating them. Otherwise, there is no special diet for cancer patients.

Saint Anthony isn't alone: Hospitals typically don't have cancer-specific menus.

Karen Massey, a registered dietitian at Integris Baptist Medical Center, said cancer patients' diets must be individualized.

Although there is no special diet for cancer patients, cancer-prevention nutrition differs from that needed while receiving treatment.

"Nutrition strategies during treatment are often geared at minimizing the potential side effects of treatment,” she said.

They include constipation, which is treated by drinking adequate fluids and eating high-fiber foods, and anemia, which can be treated by eating iron-rich foods.

Dietary help also may treat nausea, vomiting and diarrhea, she said.

Caloric and protein needs also often are higher among those receiving cancer treatment. Massey said these patients may prefer protein-rich liquids over raw foods or meats because of mouth sores. Anxiety or depression also may affect a person's desire to eat.

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