Infusion chemotherapy, also known as intravenous or IV chemotherapy, is given to thousands of cancer patients each year. Dripping cancer-fighting chemicals into your veins through a hollow needle or tube delivers medications to cancer tumors that kill off the cancer cells. While the treatment has saved many lives, its effects on your body can be grueling, and you may require a special diet to help your body get through the treatment.
History of Chemotherapy
Archigenes of Apamea, a Roman empire surgeon, undertook the first known cancer surgeries. German chemist Paul Ehrlich coined the term "chemotherapy" in the early 1900s, suggesting that chemicals could be targeted against cancer cells. Chemotherapy research repeatedly failed until 1948, when the first drug that produced remissions in childhood leukemia, methotrexate, was discovered, as described in "A History of Cancer Chemotherapy," an essay by Drs. Vincent T. DeVita, Jr. and Edward Chu of the Yale Cancer Center.
Chemotherapy Process
Since 1948, cancer specialists, also known as oncologists, gradually developed chemotherapy drug combinations for different types of cancer. If your oncologist decides that your cancer should be treated with chemotherapy, chemicals will be dripped into your veins at regular intervals until your cancer tumors have disappeared or shrunk in size. Because the chemicals disperse throughout your body and sometimes kill off healthy cells, side effects of chemotherapy may include nausea, hair loss, general fatigue and other symptoms.
Seek Dietitian's Help
Ask your oncologist to recommend a dietitian who can help you create a personalized list of foods that will support your body through the chemotherapy process. A chemotherapy diet may not be the same type of diet that you would consider healthy under normal circumstances. For example, because chemotherapy can deprive the body of protein and calories, you may be asked to consume extra milk, cheese and eggs, as discussed in a National Cancer Institute free PDF book, "Eating Hints: Before, During, and After Cancer Treatment."
Counteracting Side Effects
You have undoubtedly read many media admonitions to eat high-fiber foods. But if your chemotherapy has given you bouts of diarrhea, you may be advised to eat a low-fiber diet. If your chemotherapy side effects include nausea, part of your chemotherapy diet may include eating snacks throughout the day to maintain your weight. A downloadable PDF booklet, "Eating Well When You Have Cancer," by the Canadian Cancer Society, offers advice on food groups to counteract many possible chemotherapy side effects.
Individual Chemotherapy Diets
No chemotherapy diet is the right one for every cancer patient. You will have to work with your oncologist and your dietitian to create a diet that is correct for your medical condition and personal food tastes. Keep a daily diary of what you are eating, your reactions to it, and how your chemotherapy diet is affecting your weight and energy levels. If your diet seems distasteful or you are having trouble maintaining a healthy weight, show your food diary to your oncologist and your dietitian, and ask for their help in creating a more appealing diet.
References
- National Cancer Institute: Eating Hints: Before, During, and After Cancer
- CancerHelp UK: How chemotherapy works
- Cancer Research: A History of Cancer Chemotherapy
- Western Kansas Medical Education Consortium: Chapter 7, Part 3: Medication Administration
- Canadian Cancer Society: Eating Well When You Have Cancer
