Cancer
Diet therapy
Lipi Rani Mondal
Lecturer
Department of Nutrition and Food Science
Daffodil International University
What is Cancer
• Cancer is a group of more than 100 different
diseases. Cancer occurs when cells become
abnormal and keep dividing without control or
order. Most cancers are named for the type of
cell or organ in which they begin.
Types of cancer
• Adenocarcinoma: a cancer that begins in cells
that line the internal organs.
• Carcinoma: a cancer that begins in the skin or
in tissue that lines or covers internal organs.
Arises from the surface, glandular, or
parenchymal epithelium.
• Lymphoma: cancer appearing in the lymph
nodes, spleen, liver, and bones (Hodgkin’s).
Cancer screening
• Screening for cancer includes physical examination,
laboratory tests and procedures, and the use of
imaging modalities to look at internal organs.
• The most common detection and diagnostic tools are
CT (or CAT) scans, MRI, ultrasonography, endoscopy,
and biopsy. Common tests include blood and urine
tests, Pap smears, mammograms, fecal occult blood,
and others as needed.
• Following the results of the screening, a determination
is made of the size and extent of the cancer, and a
treatment plan is developed. This process is called
staging.
Effect of nutritional status
• The nutritional status of the individual predicts
tolerance and response to therapy. Individuals who do
not lose weight have significantly longer survival time
than those who do.
• Malnourished individuals are most susceptible to
infection and less likely to tolerate or derive optimal
benefits from therapy.
• Malnutrition is also an important issue in the quality of
life of individuals diagnosed with cancer.
• Many studies indicate that more cancer patients die of
malnutrition than from the disease.
THE BODY’S RESPONSE TO CANCER
• The specific type of cancer, and the disease process
itself, has profound effects on the entire body system
and cause primary nutritional deficiencies.
• Cancers occurring in the gastrointestinal tract or
adjacent tissue cause difficulty in ingestion and use of
nutrients.
• Obstruction curtails intake, and malabsorption
interferes with digestion of fats and fat-soluble
vitamins, especially vitamin D, which in turn leads to
decreased metabolism and absorption of calcium,
causing osteomalacia.
• Abdominal tumors may cause fistulas to develop,
leading to bypass of the small intestine and
consequent malabsorption.
• Adenocarcinoma of the colon leads to severe
electrolyte imbalance. General malabsorption
also contributes to fluid and electrolyte
imbalance. Vomiting and diarrhea result in loss of
water-soluble vitamins.
• Pancreatic cancer and resulting pancreatectomy
lead to the loss of digestive enzymes and
diabetes mellitus.
THE BODY’S RESPONSE TO MEDICAL
THERAPY
Common Nutritional Problems Occurring in Cancer
Patients with Three Major Treatment Modes
Nutrition Therapy in Cancer
• Nutrition therapy for cancer patients is highly
individ- ualized, depending on the body’s
-response to the dis- ease,
- the site of the cancer,
-the type of treatment, and
-the specific physical and
-psychological responses of the pa- tient.
PLANNING DIET THERAPY
The objectives of diet therapy are to do the
following:
Nutritional needs
• Increased nutritional needs based on the demands of
the disease and treatment. Individual needs may vary,
but the general guidelines are the same.
1. Energy:Increase total energy value to prevent excessive weight loss and meet increased metabolic demands. An adult in good nutritional status requires
less than 2000 kcalories per day for maintenance. A
severely malnourished patient may require 3000 to
4000 kcalories. Carbohydrates should supply most of
the energy intake with fat restricted to about 30% of
total calories.
Harmful therapies
• Many individuals with cancer or AIDS subscribe to
unproven nutritional therapies, like Herbal remedies,
macro- biotic diets, metabolic therapy, and thymus
gland extracts from personal beliefs that it will help
them take control of their disease, on the advice of
family and friends, or information found on Web sites
and other media.
• Megavitamin and mineral therapies (taking 10 times
the RDAs/DRIs) are among the most often used.
Vitamins that are popular are A, C, B12, and thiamine,
and the minerals iron, zinc, and selenium. These
therapies and others can be harmful
Special considerations in feeding a cancer
patient include the following: