Chemotherapy has long been established as a standard protocol to treat various cancers. Even though chemotherapy is regularly administered, the patient’s body can experience enormous stress due to the strong nature of the chemotherapy drugs. With this in mind, a special diet is required for patients undergoing chemotherapy in order to support their treatment. Ensuring this proper diet is also a problem since most patients undergoing chemotherapy experience an extensive drop in appetite. This situation must be managed adequately to avoid complications plus increase the patient’s willingness to live.

It is essential for cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy to increase the intake of high energy foods such as sugar and carbohydrates. Carbohydrate rich foods produce energy which is quite necessary for the body. It is important to understand that protein rich foods, such as meat, have a tendency to decrease the speed of the digestive system. It is advisable to replace these solid foods into something more digestible like powdered meal or liquids.

On the other hand, there are a few types of food that may have a correlation in the development of certain types of cancers. These foods are continuously studied in clinical trials to assess its connection to cancer. It is wise to consult a physician or nutritionist of the types of foods that are safe for you to consume.

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As we all know, chemotherapy is a common treatment for various types of cancer. Even though it is a standard procedure to treat malignancy, the administration of chemotherapy can be quite different for each patient and this depends on their type of cancer. Chemotherapy medication can be given orally with a pill or injected systemically intravenously. Children suffering from cancer may also undergo chemotherapy and this have been quite effect to improve the five year survival rate for children. With developments of chemotherapy, more and more children suffering from cancer can continue living healthy normal lives.

Since chemotherapy is a vital part of cancer management most children suffering from cancer are recommended to undergo this procedure since chemotherapy itself actively destroys malignant cancer cells. For children chemotherapy treatment is usually administered intravenously so the drug can travel systemically through the blood vessels rather than orally with pills.

There are various factors that should be considered before deciding the type of chemotherapy a child undergoes. These factors include the age, height, and weight of the child but most importantly the histological type of the cancer.

Basically chemotherapy has been known to induce several side effects which include vomiting, nausea, hair loss, chills, fever, and fatigue. In any case a child who is undergoing chemotherapy experiences high fever or continuous bleeding, you must take extra care. It is essential to consult your pediatrician quickly since it may be a sign of infection.

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Some chemotherapy drugs, pain relief medicines and anti-nausea drugs can affect the lining of the digestive system and cause constipation or diarrhoea. In case you missed my latest post you can find ino here about Diarrhoea during Chemotherapy here.

My best advice during your chemotherapy treatment is let your doctor or nurse know if you experience consitpatin, keep in mind your medicine may be changed or another meidcation given to relive the constipation.

  At first diarrhoea can be treated with medication at home. If the diarrhoe is sever, it may cause dehydration and you may need to be admitted to hospital.

If you have diarrhoea, it’s important to return to a balanced diet that includes fresh fruits and vegetables and wholegrain bread and pasta afer the diarrhoea has cleared up.