Avoid raw vegetables and fruits, and other hard, dry foods such as chips or pretzels. It's also best to avoid salty, spicy or acidic foods if you are experiencing these symptoms. Your care team can recommend nutrient-based oral care solutions if you are experiencing mucositis or mouth sores caused by cancer treatment.
After surgery, chemotherapy, or radiation therapy, extra protein is usually needed to heal tissues and help fight infection. Good sources of protein include fish, poultry, lean red meat, eggs, low-fat dairy products, nuts and nut butters, dried beans, peas and lentils, and soy foods.
4. Milk also does a good job of delivering other radioactive contaminants, such as cesium-134 and cesium-137. Although not important for human health, radioactive cesium mimics potassium, which we do need, and is readily absorbed by the body.
Protein rich diet for radiation patients: Take protein-rich foods which help to keep your strength and rebuild the affected tissues. You can eat fish, lean meat, poultry, and dairy products such as milk, cheese, and yogurt.
Compared to usual care, honey was more likely to reduce moderate or severe pain for patients after radiotherapy and/or chemotherapy treatment.
You should have bottled water in your emergency supplies. You can drink water, juices, or other drinks in sealed containers. Drinks in your refrigerator or freezer are also safe to drink. The package protects the liquid inside from radioactive material.
Drink Plenty Of Liquids
Drinking lots of water is especially important if you experience diarrhea during radiation therapy. “Good hydration flushes toxins out of the body and reduces treatment side effects such as nausea, weakness, bowel changes, and fatigue,” says Komar.
Background. Xerostomia is a common complication following radiation therapy for head and neck cancer (HNC), for which there is no single, universally accepted therapy. Coconut oil has been anecdotally suggested to provide relief for this complication.
Early and late effects of radiation therapy
The most common early side effects are fatigue (feeling tired) and skin changes. Other early side effects usually are related to the area being treated, such as hair loss and mouth problems when radiation treatment is given to this area.
Drinking lots of fluids and eating well can help keep your energy reserves up. If nausea and vomiting make it hard to eat, talk to your doctor about these side effects. Get moving. Moderate exercise, such as brisk walking, riding a bike and swimming, throughout the week may help you preserve your energy level.
We recommend that you drink a minimum of 8 to 10 eight-ounce glasses of water each day. You must drink more water to balance what you have lost if: You are exercising. The weather is hot.
Two randomized clinical trials have been conducted on treatment time and oral mucositis in head-and-neck cancer patients. Both reported about 10% lower rates of severe oral mucositis in patients treated in the morning (before 11 am) vs. late afternoon (after 3 pm)(11,12).
People often describe fatigue as feeling extremely tired, weak, heavy, run down, and having no energy. Resting does not always help with cancer-related fatigue. Cancer-related fatigue is one of the most difficult side effects for many people with cancer to cope with.
Radiation therapy can cause cumulative fatigue (fatigue that increases over time). This can occur regardless of treatment site. Cancer fatigue usually lasts from 3-4 weeks after treatment stops, but can continue for up to 2-3 months.
It is important to rest and take care of yourself during radiation therapy. Consider these ways to take care of yourself: Plan for extra rest. Eat a balanced diet.
The most radiation-sensitive organs include the hematopoietic system [4], the gastrointestinal (GI) system [5], skin [6, 7], vascular system [8, 9], reproductive system, and brain [10–12].
As a result of these epidemiological studies, it was found that the mammary gland, skin, and colon, etc. are tissues and organs that are easily affected by radiation and develop cancer.
Some cancers are difficult to treat and have high rates of recurrence. Glioblastoma, for example, recurs in nearly all patients, despite treatment. The rate of recurrence among patients with ovarian cancer is also high at 85%.
Aquaphor® is often recommended to patients for general skin care. (Your health care team will give you a sample and a coupon for Aquaphor). If your skin becomes dry or itches and your doctor approves, apply the product to the treatment areas after radiation.
Contrary to popular belief, the results of this research suggest that topical creams and ointments can be safely applied before radiotherapy. However, patients should avoid applying a very thick layer just before radiotherapy.”
Topical olive oil was studied by Cui et al. [14] in the prophylaxis of acute radiation toxicity in nasopharyngeal cancer patients treated with radiotherapy plus chemotherapy. Their results indicated that olive oil is an effective and safe prophylactic treatment for radiation-induced dermatitis.