Thousands of people each year are diagnosed with mesothelioma. This rare form of cancer is particularly devastating because most victims have presented symptoms of the disease for decades but they were misdiagnosed as common cold or flu-like ailments. As with any cancer, early detection is the key to surviving the longest and misdiagnosis usually means most patients are diagnosed in a late stage of the cancer. Nutrition will play a big role in nourishing your body to help maintain a strong immune system.
In this month’s blogs you will find nutrition tips for the three main therapies for mesothelioma: chemotherapy, radiation and surgery. You will also learn how fats, carbohydrates, proteins and more can help you build up your immune system when consumed in proper proportions. You will also learn food and safety guidelines you should follow during treatment and nutrition tips for patients with advanced cancer.
Nutrition is an important part of a mesothelioma cancer treatment. Eating well during treatments will help you regain your strength, keep up your weight, decrease your risk of infection, heal and recover more quickly, better tolerate the side effects of treatment and generally make you feel better. This month’s blogs will focus on topics to help you embrace nutrition as a weapon in your defense against the cancer.
As with any diet, consult your physician to make sure you are following the best nutrition plan for your particular mesothelioma cancer diagnosis and mesothelioma treatment. Make sure your caregivers are aware of the optimal nutrition plan for you as well.
For peritoneal mesothelioma staging, doctors do not use a standard staging system for diagnosis. Normally, a stage 1 mesothelioma diagnosis will be contained within the abdomen and can most likely be entirely removed. Once progression occurs in stage 2, the mesothelioma cancer may have spread but is still contained within the peritoneum. Once in stage 3, the cancer has metastasized to other organs. During the final stage 4, the mesothelioma has spread throughout the body and is highly incurable.
Mesothelioma treatment options, as with any other cancer, depends on the peritoneal mesothelioma staging presented at the time of diagnosis. If caught within the early stages, surgery is the most recommended treatment. If this is the case, good nutrition can help you heal faster and get stronger more quickly. Protein is required to help build and repair your body’s cells and also to help you maintain a healthy immune system.
You can find healthy forms of protein in eggs, dairy products, fish, poultry and beef. It is also found in plant foods such as grains, soy, nuts, lentils, peas and beans. Patients who have received their peritoneal mesothelioma staging results and who have undergone surgery often need more protein than normal. Without enough, it could take longer for you to recover from treatment.