Lung cancer and its treatment can have a profound effect on your nutrition. At a time when your body’s need for nutrients is elevated, you may find foods are difficult to consume due to nausea, vomiting, food intolerance or other gastrointestinal issues. Additionally, cancer treatments can lead to a change in the way food tastes to you, further impacting your nutrition. Consult a dietitian trained in oncology for specific advice on food intake and digestion while dealing with lung cancer.
Lung Cancer
As the leading cause of cancer deaths in the U.S., lung cancer is most often the result of smoking tobacco products, according to the University of Maryland Medical Center. About 15 percent of the disease incidence is due to environmental toxins, such as radon, asbestos, ether or arsenic, unrelated to cigarette smoke. A typical course of lung cancer treatment involves surgery, radiation therapy and chemotherapy. The disease itself and its treatment can affect your digestive system and the foods you are able to tolerate.
Digestion
Both radiation and the chemotherapeutic agents used to treat lung cancer can cause digestive upset symptoms, because they damage healthy cells as well as tumor cells. In addition to nausea and vomiting, you may experience diarrhea or constipation. You may develop an allergy or intolerance to a food or food component that previously caused no problem, such as the lactose in milk or the gluten in wheat. Any or all of these effects on your digestive system can decrease the digestion and absorption of nutrients you need as you cope with lung cancer. In addition, food issues can make it difficult for you to eat in the first place.
Foods
As you undergo treatment for lung cancer, you may develop mouth sores or, due to bouts of vomiting, an irritated throat or esophagus. These conditions can reduce your interest in food, as can a change in the way food smells or tastes, which may lead to food aversions or nausea in addition to that directly caused by your lung cancer treatment. For these reasons, you may need to experiment to find foods tolerable to you during this time. As much as possible, select nutrient-dense foods that provide plenty of calories, protein, vitamins and minerals to optimize your health as much as possible while you deal with the disease.
Considerations
If food odors bother you, have a family member or friend bring you food prepared outside your home. You may also find it easier to tolerate several small meals throughout the day rather than less frequent, larger ones. If your lung cancer symptoms or treatment cause a sore mouth or throat, eat chilled foods to soothe the irritation, and consume your foods as liquids as much as possible. At times, you may be unable to eat whole foods and therefore might consider including high-calorie, high-protein nutritional shakes in your meal plan. When your lung cancer treatment causes diarrhea or constipation, add bland, easily digested foods, such as rice or oatmeal, to your diet.
References
- University of Maryland Medical Center; Lung Cancer; Steven Ehrlich; June 2010
- Lung Cancer Guidebook; Nutrition and Lung Cancer; Tina St. John
- National Cancer Institute: What You Should Know About Cancer Treatment, Eating Well, and Eating Problems
- Washington University School of Medicine Siteman Cancer Center; Overview of Nutrition in Cancer Care; August 2011
