This June 5, we are observing the National Cancer Survivor Day with the theme “A Celebration of Life” to recognize cancer survivors worldwide and to raise awareness on the continuous struggles of cancer survivors and for them to serve as inspiration for individuals and families currently combating cancer.

Nutrition for Cancer Survivors

A cancer survivor is anyone who has been diagnosed with cancer, from the time of diagnosis through the rest of their life. Due to the advances in cancer detection and treatment, cancer patients are diagnosed and treated early which increases the number of cancer survivors per year. Cancer survivorship has 3 phases: 1) active treatment and recovery; 2) living after recovery, including survivors who are disease free or who have the stable disease; and 3) advanced cancer and end of life. Individuals experience different nutritional problems at each stage thus informed lifestyle choices for cancer survivors become particularly important even before the start of therapy up to the recovery and maintenance to improve quality of life. Thus, the following are the general nutrition tips for cancer survivors:

1. Achieve healthy body weight or be lean as possible throughout life.           

Some individuals diagnosed with cancer may start as overweight or obese or some may be underweight due to the disease which are both at risk of poor health outcomes after therapy. If currently overweight and obese, achieve and maintain a healthy weight and healthy body weight through adulthood within the normal range. For underweight patients, consult your doctor or Registered Nutritionist Dietitian for upbuilding diet regimens before initiating therapy for faster recovery.

For nausea or vomiting during treatment:

• Eat small, frequent meals.
• Avoid pungent or irritating foods which may trigger nausea or vomiting.
• Do not eat or drink acidic foods, coffee or chocolate alone on an empty stomach because they may trigger hyperacidity, acid reflux then vomiting.
• Snack on dry foods such as biscuits when feeling nauseous.
• Sip on water instead of drinking a whole glass of water to avoid nausea

2. Stay Physically Active

Physical activity can help maintain muscle and bone health and improve blood circulation which can speed up recovery.

• Limit sedentary habits and time spent in front of screens
• Engage in moderate physical activity for at least 30 minutes each day
• Engage in vigorous physical activity for at least 30 minutes each day when fitness improves

3. Go for a Plant-based diet with plenty of fruits, vegetables and meat alternatives such as tofu, beans and legumes

• Eat at least five portions/servings of a variety of vegetables and fruit every day
• Eat whole grains with every meal instead of processed (refined) grains
• Limit consumption of red meat (consume less than 500 g a week) and processed meat
• Limit consumption of energy-dense and fast foods
• Avoid sugary drinks
• Limit consumption of salt
• If alcoholic beverages are consumed, limit consumption to no more than two drinks/day for men and one drink/day for women

/AET

References

• Rock, C. L., Doyle, C., Demark‐Wahnefried, W., Meyerhardt, J., Courneya, K. S., Schwartz, A. L., ... & Gansler, T. (2012). Nutrition and physical activity guidelines for cancer survivors. CA: a cancer journal for clinicians, 62(4), 242-274.
• Mourouti, N., Panagiotakos, D. B., Kotteas, E. A., & Syrigos, K. N. (2017). Optimizing diet and nutrition for cancer survivors: A review. Maturitas, 105, 33-36.