Hodgkin Lymphoma Nutrition Therapy

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Nutrition Therapy for Hodgkin Lymphoma

Many Hodgkin lymphoma patients experience gastrointestinal symptoms during treatment. Symptoms like nausea, diarrhea and constipation, can inhibit your ability to stay nourished and ultimately interfere with your treatment.

The nutrition team at Cancer Treatment Centers of America (CTCA), including registered dietitians, will help you stay strong and nutritionally balanced so you can avoid treatment delays and interruptions.

Your Individualized Hodgkin Lymphoma Nutrition Plan

When you arrive at CTCA, we’ll evaluate your nutrition status based on factors like weight changes, food intake, and nutrition impact symptoms. Based on this assessment, your dietitian will collaborate with your oncologists and the other members of your care team to provide an individualized nutrition plan throughout your Hodgkin lymphoma treatment.

Your plan will include nutrition interventions to help rebuild body tissue, decrease the risk of infection, prevent malnutrition, and enhance your overall well-being. Once your treatment is complete, we’ll educate you about healthy eating habits so you continue to make good choices once you return home.

Managing Treatment-Related Side Effects with Nutrition Therapy

Throughout your treatment, your dietitian will work closely with the other members of your CTCA care team, including a gastroenterologist and naturopathic clinician, to combat various treatment-related side effects using a personalized approach to Hodgkin lymphoma nutrition therapy:

Nausea: We may recommend eating a low-fat, bland diet of cold foods, ginger products, peppermint, or wearing sea bands to combat nausea.
Diarrhea: We may suggest a BRAT diet of bananas, white rice, applesauce, and toast to help minimize irritation to the digestive tract, and water soluble fiber supplements (e.g., pectin) to help form firmer stool.
Constipation: To relieve constipation, we may recommend you increase your fiber intake and stay hydrated, including drinking warm liquids (e.g., prune juice).
Fatigue: To give you more energy, we may suggest you try small, frequent meals of protein-rich foods, and decrease your sugar intake.
Anemia: To boost your red blood cell count, we may recommend certain iron and folic acid supplements.
Low blood counts: A well-balanced, protein-rich diet may help your blood counts return to a safe level.

Managing Your Nutrition Status After a Stem Cell Transplant

Nutrition plays an important role for Hodgkin lymphoma patients who undergo a stem cell transplant. After the transplant, your white blood cell counts will be lower, making you more susceptible to infection. A strict adherence to food safety is important at this time.

For a period of time following the transplant, your dietitian may recommend a neutropenic diet. Diet restrictions may include avoiding raw/undercooked foods (e.g., meats, seafood, eggs, vegetables, or unpeeled fruits) or unpasteurized dairy products.

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