5 things to note about diet during chemotherapy for colon cancer

The most common side effect of chemotherapy for colon cancer is gastrointestinal reactions, such as constant nausea and vomiting, complete loss of appetite, and decreased nutritional status of patients, which may lead to decreased immunity and increase the chance of tumor metastasis. Therefore, it is very necessary to carry out active and effective diet therapy during the chemotherapy period.

Generally speaking, the diet during chemotherapy for colon cancer should be strictly followed by the doctor. In addition, there are five points to note:

1. Start with a soft and liquid diet, and then add other foods after the body gradually adapts.

You should be careful not to eat too much fat, and you should reasonably match sugar, fat, protein, minerals, vitamins and other foods. You should have cereals, lean meat, fish, eggs, milk, various vegetables and bean products every day, but not too much of each. This is the only way to replenish the various nutrients needed by the body.

2. If the patient cannot eat normally in the early stage after surgery, intravenous rehydration should be the main method. After surgery, attention should be paid to strengthening nursing care and dietary nutrition to promote the patient's physical recovery.

3. During chemotherapy, cancer patients generally experience severe digestive tract reactions. This is the most common reaction in all chemotherapy. Commonly used anticancer drugs can cause digestive tract reactions, which are mainly related to the anticancer drugs stimulating and damaging the digestive tract mucosa. In mild cases, there is loss of appetite, abdominal fullness, loss of appetite, aversion to greasy food, nausea, belching, and vomiting; in severe cases, there is frequent vomiting, abdominal pain, diarrhea, blood in the stool, resulting in body weakness, dehydration, acidosis, electrolyte imbalance, etc.

4. During chemotherapy, patients should be given light and easily digestible food according to their taste, and should be encouraged to eat small and frequent meals. Especially during the intervals between chemotherapy, more attention should be paid to supplementing high-calorie, high-vitamin, high-protein, low-fat food to ensure nutritional needs. However, due to the toxic and side effects of drugs during chemotherapy, patients often lose their appetite, so they should be given light, less greasy, and easily digestible food.

5. During chemotherapy for colon cancer, the diet requires prohibition of tobacco, alcohol, spicy, fried and other irritating cold and hard foods. Patients are encouraged to drink more water and soup to accelerate the excretion of toxins in the body. At the same time, try to create a good dining environment for patients.