Pancreatic Cancer Nutrition Therapy
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Nutrition Therapy for Pancreatic Cancer
Optimal nutrition for cancer patients is essential. Pancreatic cancer affects the body’s ability to digest and absorb vital nutrients from food. This can cause nausea, taste changes, weight loss, fatigue, decreased appetite, fullness, pain, gas, diarrhea and constipation. Over time, these symptoms can put patients at risk for malnutrition.
Cancer Treatment Centers of America (CTCA) offers a Nutrition Therapy program to help you stay strong and nourished so your pancreatic cancer treatment is not delayed or interrupted. Maintaining optimal nutrition can also help support immune function, rebuild body tissue, decrease your risk of infection and enhance your overall well-being.
Your Individualized Cancer Nutrition Plan
As a patient at CTCA, you'll meet with your cancer nutrition and metabolic support team, including a GI physician and a dietitian. You'll receive a comprehensive nutrition assessment to monitor and evaluate your nutrition status and identify if you are at risk for malnutrition.
Your nutrition therapy team will then work with you to develop an individualized cancer nutrition plan designed to prevent malnutrition, help you staty strong and improve your quality of life. Throughout your pancreatic cancer treatment, we'll proactively and continually monitor your nutrition status, making modifications to your personalized cancer nutrition plan as needed.
If you experience pain when you eat, your nutrition therapy team may provide pancreatic enzyme replacement therapy to assist with proper digestion. If you are unable to eat or digest food, wemay offer supplemental or individualized TPN nutritional support.
Diabetes Management & Pancreatic Cancer
Pancreatic cancer patients are also at risk for diabetes and glucose intolerance. To decrease complications of diabetes, your nutrition therapy team will assist you in managing blood sugar levels throughout your care.
Furthermore, you will also receive nutrition education to better understand how to manage symptoms and maintain a balanced diet. Programs and classes on nutrition and cancer, in conjunction with cooking demonstrations, are presented regularly at CTCA. Books, articles and other publications on nutrition for cancer patients are also available.
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