Carry snacks such as hard-boiled eggs, muesli bars, dried fruit and nuts, crackers and fruit buns. Try ready-to-use nutritional supplement drinks when you are travelling or on other occasions when it is difficult to prepare a meal. Examples include Sustagen, Ensure and Resource.
Get more information on food-type nutritional supplements. Include high-energy and high-protein foods in every meal or snack. Milo, Akta-Vite yoghurt or sour cream dips, salad dressings, fruit, potatoes, soups, rice dishes, lentil dhal butter, margarine or olive oil bread, toast, mashed potato, cooked vegetables, rice and pasta dishes cheese e. Key resource Download a PDF booklet on this topic. Individuals are motivated to match these two self-states. When a discrepancy occurs, such as in cancer cachexia, this results in negative emotional and behavioural consequences; for example, it can affect relationships, social functioning and routines White, Five articles explored body image Rhondali et al, ; Stamataki et al, ; Reid et al, ; McClement and Harlos, ; Hopkinson et al, a , with findings including both negative and positive responses.
Two qualitative studies Reid et al, ; Hopkinson et al, a showed that some patients were shocked by rapid changes in their appearance and this could result in loss of identity. However, some patients were less concerned about changes in their appearance, as they had expected to lose weight as a result of their cancer diagnosis Stamataki et al, ; Hopkinson et al, a.
As the illness progressed, patients became more tired as a result of weight loss Stamataki et al, , which often restricted their activity Stamataki et al, ; Strasser et al, ; Hopkinson et al, a. They complained that weight loss led to reduced mobility and increased dependency on others when performing day-to-day activities Strasser et al, ; Hopkinson et al, a , and was troubling because it was accompanied by weakness, leading to loss of independence Hopkinson et al, a.
Some patients noted that they needed help to be able to go out and had no strength at all Hopkinson et al, a. Strasser et al also reported that patients experienced progressive physical weakness when they experienced weight loss. However, McClement and Harlos found that a number of patients and their families expected a reduction in food and oral intake as a normal symptom of advanced cancer.
Other studies, such as those by Reid et al and Hopkinson , found that patients tended to modify their intake of food to include only enough calories to maintain their weight. Weight loss among patients with cancer often resulted in anxiety, depression, distress, worry, frustration and guilt Rhondali et al, ; Stamataki et al, ; Reid et al, ; Hopkinson, ; Strasser et al, ; Hopkinson et al, a; Hopkinson et al, b. Hopkinson et al b also found that in a survey of advanced cancer patients, concerns about weight loss and loss of appetite were common.
Patients found these cancer-related symptoms to be both troublesome and distressing Hopkinson et al, b.
When weight loss became visible to patients, the outcomes often included increased anxiety, distress and uncertainty Stamataki et al, ; Reid et al, ; Hopkinson et al, a. Participants in two studies believed weight loss signified that the disease had taken control of their bodies, as well as the limitations of their ability to control the illness Reid et al, ; Hopkinson et al, a ; it increased their awareness that death was imminent Hopkinson et al, a.
Stamataki et al , Reid et al , McClement and Harlos and Hopkinson et al a all identified that patients tended to avoid social situations when they experienced weight loss. Patients perceived there to be a stigma around weight loss, which reduced their desire to socialise with others Stamataki et al, They reported being unsure of the response they might receive from others about their weight loss Reid et al, Patients often became reclusive, reluctant to socialise outside of their immediate family, and even requested that relatives prevent others from visiting them McClement and Harlos, Patient concerns about weight loss were also due to the embarrassment they felt because their clothes no longer fitted them; they were self-conscious Stamataki et al, However, not all patients intentionally avoided friends due to weight loss.
As previously mentioned, the physical effects of weight loss often restricted their social activities. Some patients found it impossible to leave their house unaccompanied, without compromising their safety, which resulted in loss of independence and progressive isolation Hopkinson et al, a. The literature review highlighted issues associated with cancer-related weight loss that are often encountered by patients.
The findings were supported by others suggesting that those with advance terminal illness often experience loss of hope and meaning in their lives Lloyd-Williams et al, Both patients and their families often report frustration with the inadequate and inappropriate response that they receive from health professionals to this distressing condition Porter et al, There is sometimes an attitude of inevitability among nurses concerning this side-effect of cancer, and a belief little can be done Hopkinson et al, a.
Cancer-associated weight loss has a considerable social, psychological and physical impact on patient experience, and affects quality of life. Medical nutrition is available in a range of flavours and formats including milkshakes, juice style, yoghurt style, powders and desserts. Cancer is a term used to group together a set of diseases that can affect almost any part of our body; it will affect around 1 in 2 people during their lifetimes. Both the disease and its treatment can be extremely demanding on the body, taking away strength when the body needs to be at its strongest.
Weight loss during cancer, particularly loss of lean body mass, can have a negative impact on the health of a patient, increasing the rate of complications and affecting the success of both treatment and recovery[].
It is therefore important that cancer patients maintain weight to give themselves the best chance possible. Cancer and weight loss Weight loss and cancer are closely linked. In fact, weight loss is one of the most common side-effects in people diagnosed with cancer 1. Do you always lose weight with cancer? Why do you lose weight with cancer? What is cancer cachexia?
What nutrients are most important in cancer? However, in cancer, some nutrients are particularly important: Protein: important for building and repairing body cells, getting enough protein is important for cancer patients wanting to maintain or regain lean body mass.
An introduction to cancer and weight loss Cancer is a term used to group together a set of diseases that can affect almost any part of our body; it will affect around 1 in 2 people during their lifetimes.
Metoclopramide Reglan. This is a medication used to help treat nausea and vomiting. Metoclopramide may also help prevent the feeling of fullness if you take it about 30 minutes before trying to eat a meal. One key side effect of this medication is that it may cause diarrhea. Pancreatic enzyme lipase replacement. The pancreas has a key role in helping digest food.
For patients who may not have a fully functional pancreas, such as those with pancreatic cancer, supplemental digestive enzymes may help the body absorb fat, proteins, and carbohydrates. Signs that you may need to take supplemental digestive enzymes may include increased gas, bloating, vague abdominal pain, and stools that float in the toilet bowl. Be sure to let your health care team know if you have any of these symptoms. Dronabinol Marinol. This is a medication containing 1 of the active ingredients in medical cannabis called THC.
THC may increase appetite but is also associated with a higher risk of confusion, especially in adults over the age of Discuss the risks and benefits of taking dronabinol with your health care team, especially if you have never used medical cannabis previously or if you are taking other medications that may increase your risk of confusion pain medications, anxiety medications.
Other medications are being studied to help people with cancer improve their appetite and gain weight. Sometimes, patients receive nutrients through an intravenous IV tube instead of eating and drinking. Usually, the goal is to provide short-term nutritional support to improve health. An IV is inserted into a vein. The nutrients go directly into the body through the IV.
Studies have demonstrated that the use of intravenous nutrient therapy should be limited to short periods. This is an artificial way of providing nutrition and therefore is associated with higher risks of infection and fluid building up in the body. In most situations, this approach is not very helpful in patients with weight loss related to advanced cancer.
In rare situations, like when there is a bowel obstruction, this approach may be tried. Weight loss and cancer cachexia are different.
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