Nutrition Therapy for Cervical Cancer

According to the National Cancer Institute, about one-third of all cancer deaths are related to malnutrition. For cervical cancer patients, the importance of nutrition cannot be understated. From depleting your body’s nutrients and causing weight loss, to impeding your appetite and your body’s ability to digest foods, cervical cancer and its treatment may leave you in a vulnerable position. Cancer patients have a high nutrient need that is often improperly balanced with a low nutrient intake.

This is why at Cancer Treatment Centers of America (CTCA), we believe nutrition plays an important role in cervical cancer treatment. We ensure that each patient that comes to us for help receives a nutrition assessment and an individualized plan designed to enhance his or her overall well-being through the prevention of malnutrition and other side effects of cervical cancer treatment.

Our mission

The CTCA Nutrition Therapy Program provides quality care for cervical cancer patients through assessment, education, supplementation and support. We begin by assessing your overall risk for malnutrition, and then implementing an individualized nutrition plan to be followed throughout your cervical cancer treatment.

Assessment

A patient nutritional assessment is the first step in the development of your individualized nutrition plan. The assessment may include the following:

• Laboratory blood analysis: This helps us to evaluate the strength of your immune system (immunocompetence) and protein stores.
• Your medical history and nutrition interview: This provides our nutritional team with insights into your current appetite and food preferences, as well as the health of your overall digestive system. We will also identify any existing or potential complications.
• Computerized diet profile: Taken by you, this follows your nutritional intake over a three-day period.
• Nutrition anthropometrics: We will measure your body to determine body fat percentages and loss of lean tissue.

After your initial consultation with our nutritional team, once you’ve begun your treatment at a CTCA facility, additional tests may be performed. These may include the following:

• Indirect calorimetry: This simple breathing test allows us to measure your calorie requirements.
• Nitrogen balance: This test analyzes protein loss to determine if your body is getting enough protein.

Diet

Throughout your cervical cancer treatment at CTCA, you will be encouraged to eat foods that provide optimal nutritional benefit. Each patient consults with a registered and licensed dietitian, who develops an individualized meal plan that caters to his or her unique treatment needs and preferences. Featured healthy food choices include fish, poultry, legumes, low-fat yogurt, fruits and vegetables, whole grains and cereals, and more. Click here for a sampling of some of the recipes we use to create fantastic, health-conscious meals for our patients and their loved ones at our hospitals.

Supplementation

A registered, licensed dietitian, in addition to a trained naturopath, will recommend daily doses of various vitamin and mineral supplements. An important part of your cervical cancer treatment, high-quality supplements provide valuable nutrients which you may not be getting in your diet. Valuable nutrients from supplementation can not only support your immune system in its fight against cancer, but may also reduce related side effects of cervical cancer treatments, such as chemotherapy or radiation.

Your dietitian at CTCA will recommend daily dosages of various nutrients, including the following:

• Beta carotene
• Selenium
• Vitamin C
• Eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA)
• Vitamin E
• Others, as appropriate

Nutritional support

We can also provide nutritional support parenterally (through a vein) or enterally (through a feeding tube) in the event that you are unable to eat or digest food during your cervical cancer treatment. Should you require this type of nutritional support, our nutrition/metabolic team (comprised of a physician, nutrition specialist, nurse and pharmacist) will work closely with you to make sure that you comfortable and eating right.

Education

At CTCA, we believe that education and awareness about proper nutrition can be a powerful tool in your fight against cancer. Throughout your cervical cancer treatment, our dietitians will offer helpful consultation, as well as programs, classes and cooking demonstrations. Books, articles and other publications on cervical cancer and nutrition are also available.