Nutrition during chemo (2024)

FAQs

What is the 7 day rule for chemotherapy? ›

Chemotherapy cycles may be planned in such a way that there will be 5 days of chemo with 2 days of rest, all within 7 days (roughly). Maintaining drug levels: 7-day rule helps ensure that there is enough chemo in the body to fight cancer.

Eat a lot of fruits and vegetables. Eat foods that are high in fiber, such as whole-grain breads, cereals, and pasta. Choose lean meats, such as lean beef, pork trimmed of fat, and poultry (such as chicken or turkey) without skin. Choose low-fat milk products.

Sushi, sashimi and some types of fish with high levels of mercury. Raw fish should be off-limits during cancer treatment, but even some types of cooked fish, including King mackerel, marlin, orange roughy, shark, swordfish, tilefish, ahi tuna and bigeye tuna should all be avoided due to their high mercury content.

“If you're on a strong chemo regimen, usually the day after is when you'll experience the worst symptoms,” says Iheme. “By worst, I mean you'll experience the most fatigue, weakness and nausea. Normally, three or four days after chemo, your symptoms will get better.”

Chemo belly describes how a person's abdomen can become bloated, gassy, and uncomfortable during and following chemotherapy treatments. The condition often ends following the completion of treatment. It can occur due to changes in the gut bacteria as well as changes in how food moves through the digestive tract.

If you're currently undergoing cancer treatment and losing weight, now is the time to indulge in comfort foods. Macaroni and cheese, chicken noodle soup, meatloaf, mashed potatoes and ice cream can be great options as their high calories, creamy textures and low-fiber content make them easy to chew and digest.

Alcohol and chemotherapy

Some chemotherapy drugs interact with alcohol and could make you unwell. Your healthcare team will tell you if it is safe to drink alcohol with your chemotherapy drugs. Excessive drinking would not be a good idea, whatever type of chemotherapy you are on.

During chemotherapy take a small, bland snack with you. You can try the above foods as well as snack on low acid juices (apple, grape, and fruit nectars), liquid yogurts, fruits such as bananas, and crackers.

You may also want to avoid certain fruits based on your symptoms. For example, citrus fruits may irritate mouth sores and worsen the feeling of dry mouth. Lastly, whole fruits like apples, apricots, and pears are hard for some people with cancer to eat due to mouth sores, difficulty swallowing, dry mouth, or nausea.

Cancer care providers suggest you come prepared with a bag of essential and comforting items to use during your visits. A well-thought-out bag or kit may have warm clothing, entertainment devices, food and drinks, writing materials and assorted skin and lip care items.

Why can't you share a bathroom with someone on chemo? ›

Other people and pets could be exposed to the drug waste for a few days if they come into contact with any of your body fluids. Here are things you can do to help keep your family, visitors, and pets safe during this time: If possible, have children use a different toilet than the one you use.

Some of the best foods to eat during chemotherapy or other cancer treatments are plant-based proteins. They offer the highest levels of vitamins and minerals, Rajagopal says. This means eating lots of vegetables as well as beans, legumes, nuts and seeds.

You are being treated for cancer with a chemotherapy medication called Oxaliplatin. This medication has an unusual side effect called “cold dysesthesia”. This means that different parts of your body may be very sensitive to cold – cold drinks, cold food, and cool or cold outdoor temperatures.

Sometimes, chemotherapy causes long-term side effects that don't go away. These may include damage to your heart, lungs, nerve endings, kidneys, or reproductive organs.

During a course of chemotherapy, you usually have around 4 to 8 cycles of treatment. After each round of treatment you have a break. This allows your body to recover. For example, if your cycle lasts 4 weeks, you may have treatment on the 1st, 2nd and 3rd days.

After chemotherapy treatment, the chemotherapy drug usually remains in the body for either 3 days or 7 days, depending upon the properties of the drug. The drug is excreted in the urine, stool, vomit, sem*n, and vagin*l secretions during this time.