Treatment and diet for esophageal cancer

The diet for esophageal cancer should first be aimed at supplementing nutrition and improving the patient's own immunity. Unlike other tumors, esophageal cancer does not cause poor appetite, but difficulty in swallowing and inability to eat, which causes consumption of the body. Therefore, you should try to eat more food that can enter the esophagus, such as semi-liquid food and full-liquid food. Pay attention to the quality of semi-liquid food and full-liquid food. Do not limit calories. Make sure that the food is nutritious, soft, easy to digest and absorb. If necessary, you can make a homogenized diet, elemental diet and mixed milk. A homogenized diet is a normal person's diet that has been thorned and boned, and then blended into a paste with a high-speed tissue pounder. The nutrients it contains are similar to normal diets, but they have been crushed in vitro and are very easy to digest and absorb. This can avoid long-term single diets and prevent constipation.

The heat energy and nutritional requirements of homogenized diet can be prepared according to the condition and personal eating habits. You can choose rice, porridge, noodles, steamed bread, eggs, fish, shrimp, chicken, lean meat, pork liver, cabbage, carrots, rapeseed, white radish, winter melon, potatoes, and appropriate amounts of milk, soy milk, tofu, dried bean curd, etc. Preparation method of homogenized diet: Clean chicken, lean meat, fish, shrimp, vegetables, etc., remove bones, skin, and thorns, cut into small pieces and cook or fry, remove the skin of steamed bread, boil eggs, peel and cut into pieces, mix all the food needed for each meal, add appropriate amount of water and mash them together (can be mashed with a medical tissue pounder or a food pounder), and add 1-2 grams of salt per meal after all are blended into a particle-free paste.

In general, the diet for esophageal cancer should make it easy for patients to eat and try to supplement the required nutrients. In addition, the diet for esophageal cancer must pay attention to the taboo foods, such as not eating spicy foods, not drinking or smoking, not eating rough foods that are difficult to swallow, etc.

2. Dietary guidance for patients with esophageal cancer

Traditional Chinese medicine has its unique therapeutic effects, but cancer patients cannot ignore the diet of three meals a day on the basis of Chinese medicine prevention and treatment. Diet therapy and medicinal diet are an important part of traditional Chinese medicine. Experts have summarized many dietary guidance methods suitable for the prevention and treatment of esophageal cancer in long-term treatment and life practice. These reasonable dietary guidance is not only conducive to the treatment of tumors, but also helps to maintain good health and prolong life. Experts believe that the diet of esophageal cancer patients should adhere to the following principles:

(1) You should eat small meals frequently, 4 to 6 times a day. You can gradually increase your food intake and decide the frequency of meals based on your own situation.

(2) Do not eat too much, do not eat raw or cold food, and do not be picky about food.

(3) It is advisable to eat soft food that is high in nutrition, protein and easy to digest.

(4) Avoid drinking alcohol, strong tea, and coffee to prevent increasing acid reflux.

(5) Do not eat too much fat. Use vegetable oil instead and use less or no animal oil. Greasy food can easily cause acid reflux, so you should eat less of it.

(6) Eat regularly and avoid overeating.

(7) Do not eat leftovers left overnight (except those in the refrigerator) as they can easily produce carcinogens.

Here are some recommended dietary therapies for esophageal cancer:

(1) Leek juice

[Ingredients] 1000g fresh leek.

[Preparation method] Remove impurities from fresh leeks, wash and drain, chop and squeeze out juice for serving.

[Usage] 2 to 3 times a day, 50ml each time.

(2) Crucian carp soup

[Ingredients] 1 live crucian carp (about 400g), 3g dried ginger, 3g orange peel, appropriate amounts of pepper, scallion, ginger, cornstarch and fine salt.

[Preparation] Remove the scales, gills and internal organs of the crucian carp, wash it, put it in a pot, add appropriate amount of water, boil it over high heat first, then simmer it over low heat until it is well cooked, drain the fish soup and set aside, and eat the fish separately; then grind the dried ginger, orange peel and pepper into fine powder, chop the ginger and scallion into small pieces, put them into the fish soup and boil for 5 minutes, finally add cornstarch and fine salt and cook for a while.

[Usage] Take 1 small bowl 1 to 2 times a day, warm and drink for 7 consecutive days.

(3) Panax notoginseng lotus root egg

[Ingredients] 3g Panax notoginseng powder, 1 egg, 250g fresh lotus root.

[Preparation] First peel and wash the fresh lotus root, chop it and squeeze out the juice for later use. Then beat the eggs into a bowl and stir. Add the lotus root juice and Panax notoginseng powder, mix well and simmer in water for 50 minutes.

[Usage] Take it on an empty stomach every morning. One course of treatment is 8 to 10 days.

(4) Duck stewed with Cordyceps sinensis

[Ingredients] 150 grams of duck meat, 10 grams of Cordyceps sinensis, 5 red dates, and 15 grams of ginger.

Preparation of Cordyceps sinensis stewed duck for patients with esophageal cancer: (1) Wash the cordyceps sinensis, ginger, and red dates; wash the duck meat, cut it into pieces and set aside. (2) Put all the ingredients into a stew pot, add an appropriate amount of boiling water, simmer for 2 hours over low heat, and season. Drink the soup and eat the meat as you like.

[Effects] Nourishes the kidney and replenishes essence, strengthens the spleen and nourishes the stomach.

[Scope of application] Esophageal cancer is a type of deficiency disease, with symptoms including thin body, loss of appetite, spermatorrhea and insomnia, cough and shortness of breath, blood in sputum, low voice and timid breath, fatigue, pale tongue and thin pulse, etc.

[Notes] (1) This prescription is mainly used for asthenia, especially for esophageal cancer and other cancers, which are characterized by thin body, loss of appetite, fatigue, pale tongue and thin pulse. (2) This prescription is mainly for nourishing. Those with exogenous fever and excessive phlegm and dampness should not drink this soup.

(5) Fish Maw and Pork Soup with Amomum villosum

[Ingredients] 10 grams of Amomum villosum, 50 grams of fish maw, and 150 grams of lean pork.

[Preparation] (1) Crush Amomum villosum and wrap it in gauze for later use; soak the fish maw until soft and cut into thin strips; chop the lean pork into meat paste. (2) First, simmer the fish maw with an appropriate amount of water until most of it is dissolved, then add Amomum villosum and meat paste and cook for half an hour, then remove the Amomum villosum. Season with salt and serve.

[Effects] Strengthens the spleen and stomach.

[Scope of application] It is suitable for patients with esophageal cancer who are suffering from spleen and stomach deficiency and coldness, and the symptoms include weight loss, loss of appetite, abdominal distension, fatigue, pale and fat tongue, white and moist tongue coating, and deep and fine pulse. This prescription can be used for patients with stomach cancer, liver cancer, lung cancer, and breast cancer who are suffering from spleen and stomach deficiency and coldness.

[Notes] (1) This prescription is suitable for patients with sallow complexion, fatigue, poor appetite, pale tongue, and deep and thin pulse, which are caused by spleen and stomach deficiency and cold. (2) This prescription is not suitable for patients with dry throat, bitter mouth, constipation, yellow urine, yellow and greasy tongue coating, and rapid pulse, which are caused by internal dampness and heat. (3) If Amomum villosum is not available, 10 grams of white cardamom can be used instead, and the usage is the same as Amomum villosum.

(6) Stewed Raw Fish with Ginseng and Astragalus

[Ingredients] One raw fish (about 250 grams), 10 grams of ginseng, 30 grams of astragalus, and 5 red dates.

Preparation of ginseng and astragalus stewed raw fish for patients with esophageal cancer: (1) Wash and slice the ginseng; remove the scales, gills, and intestines of the raw fish and wash it; wash the astragalus and red dates. (2) Put all the ingredients into a stew pot, add an appropriate amount of boiling water, and stew for 2 hours. Remove the astragalus, pick up the raw fish, and season it. Drink the soup and eat the meat.

[Effects] Nourishes Qi and blood, replenishes deficiency and promotes tissue regeneration.

[Scope of application] Patients with qi and blood deficiency after surgery for ductal carcinoma and various cancers, and whose wounds are difficult to heal after surgery. Symptoms include sallow complexion, emaciation, fatigue, laziness, poor appetite, pale tongue, and weak pulse.

[Notes] (1) This recipe is suitable for patients with poor healing of wounds after cancer surgery, pale complexion, weak voice, pale tongue, and weak pulse, which are caused by qi deficiency. (2) Patients with cancer caused by damp heat should not drink this soup. (3) When taking this recipe, avoid eating radish to prevent it from reducing the efficacy of ginseng.