Cancer Supportive Care Clinic: Nutrition Counseling
Weight Loss or Weight Gain
What will the Registered Dietitian do to help with nutrition problems?
- Customize an individual eating plan based on each patient’s type of cancer, type of treatment, treatment side effects, medical history, medications, height, weight and nutrition requirements.
- Provide counseling on how to achieve the best nutritional health based on the individual’s nutrient needs.
- Provide written materials that include the customized nutrient needs for the patient, methods for getting good nutrition when dealing with side effects, and recipes.
- Work with your physician to help manage those nutrition-related side effects that require medications.
- Provide advice on and assistance in obtaining the best nutritional supplements for the individual patient.
- Provide advice on how to prevent or minimize weight loss and nutrient deficiencies during treatment.
- Provide guidance and assistance to patients with tube feedings.
- Provide advice on vitamin, mineral, antioxidant, or dietary supplementation; what dosages are safe to take and when these supplements can be harmful or dangerous.
- Provide advice on where to obtain reliable diet and health information including books and web sites.
- Provide special education on diet and food preparation for patients who are on the “neutropenic diet” because they have weak immune systems due to cancer treatment.
- Provide assistance and education on diet in cancer recovery and cancer prevention.
