Nutrition and It's Role in Your Recovery
Following cancer treatment, your body enters a critical period of healing and recovery. Good nutrition supports the immune system, helps repair tissue damage from treatments like chemotherapy and radiation, and can reduce the risk of recurrence. Survivors who adopt healthy eating habits often experience improved energy, fewer treatment related side effects, and better emotional well-being. Certain cancer treatments may have long-term effects on the gastrointestinal system, taste, appetite, or ability to chew and swallow (especially in head and neck cancers), which can further complicate nutritional needs. Survivors may also face unique challenges such as weight loss, muscle wasting, or weight gain due to hormonal changes or decreased activity during treatment.
Healing Starts with Food
Your body needs extra calories and protein after treatment to build and repair tissues and stay strong. Radiation and surgery may make swallowing or chewing hard. Protein shakes, smoothies, or soft foods like yogurt, pudding, and eggs can help you get the nutrition you need. A balanced diet can include:
-
Plenty of fruits and vegetables (at least 5 servings/day)
-
Whole grains over refined carbohydrates
-
Lean proteins such as fish, poultry, tofu, and legumes
-
Limited red and processed meats
-
Healthy fats, especially omega-3s from fish and nuts
-
Hydration, especially for patients with dry mouth or kidney strain from chemo
Specialized diets may be necessary for patients with gastrointestinal changes, food intolerances, or specific nutrient deficiencies.
Multidisciplinary care which can include screening, assessment and appropriate intervention have been shown to improve dietary and health outcome in head and neck cancer patient.
How Does Nutrition Help Your Recovery
Some of the side effects from systemic treatments can be mediated by the appropriate nutrition:
-
Fatigue: Adequate iron, protein, and hydration can help combat post treatment fatigue.
-
Osteoporosis risk: Calcium and vitamin D intake become especially important after treatments that affect bone density.
-
Cardiovascular risk: Treatments such as radiation near the chest or certain chemotherapies increase cardiovascular risks, making heart-healthy eating vital.
-
Weight management: Maintaining a healthy weight reduces risk for recurrence and other chronic illnesses like diabetes or hypertension.
The goal for many head and neck cancer patients is to increase nutrition intake orally or through support therapy in order to prevent and limit weight loss, preserve body mass and improve treatment outcomes.
What If You Have Trouble Eating?
Dysphagia, or difficulty swallowing, is a common long term side effect for many cancer survivors, especially those treated for head, neck, or esophageal cancers. Radiation, surgery, and certain chemotherapies can damage the muscles and nerves involved in swallowing, leading to pain, choking, or a sensation of food being stuck.
Symptoms to Watch For:
-
Coughing or choking during meals
-
Hoarseness or gurgling sounds while eating
-
Frequent pneumonia or respiratory infections (from aspiration)
-
Unexplained weight loss or malnutrition
-
Avoidance of certain foods due to discomfort
When this happens it can lead to malnutrition, dehydration, pneumonia, PEG tube placement and decreased quality of life.
Next Steps:
-
Schedule an appointment with a speech language pathologist: they may be able to help evaluate your swallowing function and help give you exercises to improve it, ask your primary or oncology team for a referral.
-
Modified Diets: eating soft, pureed and moist foods can help reduce the risk of aspiration. Speaking with a dietitian can help create a meal plan that will ensure you receive the proper calories and nutrients.
-
Medical and Surgical Interventions: Your medical provider may determines that interventions such as feeding tubes or dilation of your esophagus is necessary for either a short term or long term use. Make them aware of any symptoms that you are having and they can further evaluate you to determine the next best step.
Dry Mouth?
Dry mouth also known as Xerostomia creates significant challenges to a patients quality of life and while many medications and interventions exist, there is no approved or definite treatments avaialble. Xerostomia is caused by damage to the salivary glands either due to radiation treatments or due to medications. Interventions such as:
-
Sucking on sour candy to increase saliva production
-
Acupuncture
-
Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy to increase tissue oxygenation
-
Medications
-
Avoidance of certain foods due to discomfort
can help increase saliva production and make eating easier. Be sure to bring this symptom up to your primary care team or your oncologist so early interventions can be made.