Nutrition for Esophageal Cancer Treatment
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 5 ก.ค. 2024
- Esophageal cancer and esophageal cancer treatment can cause difficulty with swallowing, which can limit your body’s ability to get the nutrition you need in order to keep your body healthy during esophageal cancer treatment.
In this video you’ll learn about
• Essential building blocks for good nutrition
• Protein supplements
• Feeding tubes
There are four major nutritional building block:
Carbohydrates are important for energy
There are many different kinds of carbohydrates:
There are sugars, which make food taste sweet but are also hard on your liver and pancreas
There are starches, which also provide a source of energy but are easier on your system
Fats are a second category of nutrients.
Fats make food taste better and are important in small quantities for rebuilding tissue.
The average American diet, however, contains more fat than most people need
Micronutrients are the vitamins and minerals your body needs to keep functioning smoothly.
A daily vitamin is enough for most people.
In some cases, your doctor may recommend iron supplementation, but only if your iron levels are low
Protein is the essential building block of tissue in your body, especially muscle.
If you don’t have enough protein in your diet, you can lose muscle mass, which can result in weakness and fatigue
Protein is found in meats, fish, eggs, nuts, and beans
Your dietitian can give you a more precise number, but in general the average woman needs 60 grams of protein per day and the average man needs 75 grams of protein per day
For many people with esophageal cancer, however, eating meat can be difficult.
Because of this, inadequate protein intake is the most common nutritional problem for patients with esophageal cancer.
For patients who have difficulty eating, we recommend protein supplements to make certain they have enough protein to stay healthy.
When we talk about protein supplements, we will talk about two different categories:
Protein Shakes
Meal Supplements
Protein shakes contain protein and flavoring and may contain micronutrients, but don’t tend to contain much in the way of carbohydrates or fat. An example of a protein shake would be Premier Protein or Pure Protein.
Meal replacements contain protein as well as carbohydrates, either in the form or sugars or dietary fiber, along with fats. Examples of meal replacements would be Ensure or Boost.
Your dietitian will help decide whether a protein shake or meal replacement is best for you, but for most patients that are able to take at least some other food, protein shakes taste better and are usually more suitable.
Bear in mind that the average woman needs 60 grams of protein per day, and the average man needs 75 grams of protein per day, so it will be important to read the label to make certain you’re getting enough protein
Some of the examples here contain 30 grams of protein per shake, which means taking two shakes per day if you’re not able to take much protein in foods.
It’s important that you find a supplement that is palatable, because supplements only work if you drink them.
For most people with esophageal cancer who have difficulty eating, things can get worse during esophageal cancer therapy.
The reason is that the most common initial treatment in chemotherapy and radiation.
Chemotherapy can tend to depress your appetite.
Radiation can lead to a temporary ‘sunburn’ on the inside of the esophagus called radiation esophagitis. This usually gets better after the radiation ends
One of the questions you will want to address with your esophageal cancer care team is whether or not you need a feeding tube to help with your nutrition during cancer treatment.
Your dietitian and physicians will evaluate your situation and made a recommendation.
Let’s take a look at the options:
A gastrostomy tube is placed into the stomach by a surgical procedure. Feedings can be administered with a syringe. A gastrostomy tube still allows you to each as much normally as you would like.
A jejunostomy tube is placed into the jejunum, or the first portion of the small intestine. Feedings require a pump and are generally given overnight, which can take 12-16 hours. A jejunostomy tube still allows you to each as much normally as you would like.
The decision between a gastrostomy tube and jejunostomy tube can be a little complex, but here are some general principles.
For those with stomach cancer who need supplemental feeding, a jejunostomy tube is needed.
For patients who undergo surgery on the esophagus, a jejunostomy tube is frequently used after surgery
For patients who have esophageal cancer and who are undergoing chemotherapy and radiation, either a gastrostomy tube or jejunostomy tube can be used, depending upon whether or not surgery on the esophagus is planned.
This is a more complicated decision that your care team will make in coordination with your surgeon.
Thanks, very helpful for relatives.
This was great. I was taking these supplements prior to surgery, also adding protein powder to soups and stews. I am now finding it difficult after surgery to eat as my stomach has shrunk. I had surgery using the Ivor Lewis method. Now I find I can only eat about half or 2/3rds of a normal portion. I am dropping weight quickly. I have been told to graze or just eat inbetween meals, but then when it's time to eat lunch or dinner, I just can't eat much because I get full quicker and then get extraordinary stomach cramps which are only relieved about 2 hours later after belching. It has been 3 weeks since surgery. I trust my new oesophagus will get 'broken in' and I will start to eat normally again. Thanks.
Hello Anthony S. What was your surgery related to. Please let me know. Thanks.
Really so what about gist of the esophagus witch is rare ,your left with nothing ,told and then pushed to the side this is what I'm going thow
No one can cure ophasogus without God in heaven
Why say that?
Is there no escape from this disease?
Why say that?
Is there no escape from this disease?
The average american diet has way too much carbs and sugar, not fats!! Ive always heard that you want to starve cancer of sugars and starches.
Why has my specialist not given me treatment for my dysphasia...he wont say.😮
I have been going through this for the past six months. I had an endoscopy done and it revealed a 9 mm cancerous lesion which caused my dysphasia symptoms. I have been undergoing immunotherapy treatments for 5 months and they have been effective in shrinking the tumor enough so that I am preparing to undergo surgery to remove and rebuild my esophagus and upper stomach.
Please do not delay in seeking treatment. Contact a good gastrointestinal specialist and get tested. Treatment for this is improving all the time. The worst thing you can do is ignore it.
God bless.
@robertamato358 Bless you For sharing I now have an appointment with a specialist
And will follow up with your information
Thankyou once again.😊
Chlorine dioxide.