CompleteLife Nutritional Counseling
Good nutrition is an important part of all cancer treatment. Eating the right kinds of foods before starting treatment and during treatment can help the patient to feel less fatigued, maintain muscle mass, prevent malnutrition and generally tolerate treatment better. It is especially important to prevent malnutrition because it affects tissue function and repair, immune status and drug metabolism. Nutritional status has a direct correlation with a patient’s quality of life, treatment tolerance and survival.
Nutrition counseling is provided by a registered dietitian who is also a specialist in nutrition for cancer patients. The assessment includes helping patients manage nutrition related symptoms of treatment, including loss of appetite, weight loss, diarrhea, constipation, nausea, vomiting, dehydration, and taste changes. Patients are followed throughout the course of treatment to continually address changing needs and nutritional status of the patient. The dietitian can also help to evaluate a patient’s need for vitamins, minerals, herbs, and supplements or for possible interactions with cancer treatment.
If you would like to make an appointment to speak with a registered dietitian, please notify your doctor or nurse or call (317) 948-6787.
More information:
Eating Hints for Cancer Patients (National Cancer Institute)
Nutrition and Cancer Care (National Cancer Institute)
American Institute for Cancer Research