CANCER

Is proper diet important for cancer patients?

Dieticians have a very serious and important role to play for cancer patients.

Proper nutrition is very important for anyone being treated for cancer, since it is a time when the body is under considerably more stress than normal and the physical and psychological pain may be unbearable. The main nutritional objectives for cancer patients must be to maintain body weight and to ingest healthy foods that give the body energy and the nutrients needed to deal with the situation. Cancer not only affects the patient’s eating habits but also the way in which they body utilises the nutrients it ingests. One can say with certainty that the role of the clinical dietician is as important as the role of the doctor treating the patient since the treatment the patient follows is more effective when the body's nutritional needs are being met.