Once your body has healed after treatment, we encourage a plant-based diet to promote long-term health and wellness. Limit red meat, sugar, processed foods and alcohol. This will help promote a healthy weight. As your cancer treatment changes, so do your nutritional needs.
It's important not to rub, scrub or scratch any sensitive spots. Also avoid putting anything that is very hot or very cold—such as heating pads or ice packs—on your treated skin.
Alcohol during radiotherapy
But alcohol can inflame a sore mouth or throat if you are having radiotherapy to your head or neck area. It can also irritate your bladder if you are having pelvic radiotherapy. Radiotherapy can make you feel tired and alcohol can make this worse.
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.
Drink extra fluids to flush the radioactive material out of the body. Avoid infants, children, and pregnant women. Wash loads of laundry separate from the rest of the household, including sheets. Plan to remain home and avoid work, schools, and other places with lots of people.
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.
Radiation sickness usually goes away a few weeks after radiation therapy is finished. Low blood cell counts happen because of radiation's effect on blood cells made in the bone marrow.
More than 60% of NPC patients receiving curative-intent radiotherapy suffered from a weight loss greater than 5% during the treatment [8], [9].
Radiotherapy can sometimes cause: a sore mouth. loss of appetite and weight loss.
The average radiation therapy patient needs 8 to 12 cups of water per day. If you are going to consume caffeinated drinks like tea or coffee, we recommend having no more than 1 to 2 glasses a day as it may make dry mouth worse. This is a common side effect during treatment.
You might also be told to sleep in a separate bed in a separate room for a specific number of nights. This depends on the type of treatment you receive. Avoid contact with infants, children, and women who are pregnant for a specific amount of time. Avoid contact with pets for a specific amount of time.
The best types of fluid to drink during your treatment are water, milk, still squash, herbal or fruit tea. If you drink tea or coffee, be aware of the amount of caffeine you are consuming and it is recommended you switch to decaffeinated versions.
Skin changes
You may shower or bathe throughout your radiation therapy. Your nurse will recommend a mild soap for you to use. It is important to keep skin folds clean and dry. Apply moisturizers to the abdominal area if needed.
Hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) makes it possible to accelerate healing in your radiation wound. It uses concentrated 100% oxygen at pressures above regular atmospheric pressure to push oxygen through your bloodstream.
There is no need to avoid being with other people because of your treatment. Even hugging, kissing or having sexual relations poses no radiation exposure risk for others. Side effects of radiation therapy most often are related to the area that is being treated.
Many people who get radiation therapy have fatigue. Fatigue is feeling exhausted and worn out. It can happen all at once or come on slowly. People feel fatigue in different ways and you may feel more or less fatigue than someone else who is getting the same amount of radiation therapy to the same part of the body.
Fatigue usually builds up slowly during the course of treatment, particularly towards the end, and may last for some weeks or months after treatment finishes. Many people find that they cannot do as much as they normally would, but others are able to continue their usual activities.
Radiation therapy to the head and neck can cause side effects that make it difficult to take in adequate amounts of food and fluids. These side effects include loss of appetite, changes in taste or loss of taste, painful chewing and swallowing, mouth sores, dry mouth and nausea.
Some people may lose interest in food or find it difficult to eat well during radiation therapy. This can depend on the part of the body being treated.
Following chemotherapy, radiation and surgery, patients often experience metabolic changes, such as weight gain. Breast cancer and prostate cancer therapies, in particular, can slow metabolism and contribute to weight gain. Steroids may lead to inflammation and weight gain.
Complications of radiation therapy
Oral complications caused by radiation therapy to the head and neck include the following: Fibrosis (growth of fibrous tissue) in the mucous membrane in the mouth. Tooth decay and gum disease. Breakdown of tissue in the area that receives radiation.
Although radiation therapy effectively treats many types of cancer, it may also increase your likelihood of developing a different cancer in the future. For many people, the benefits of radiation therapy are worth the risk.
After radiation therapy ends, you will still need to take special care of yourself. It is normal to need extra rest – this means your healthy tissues are rebuilding. Take naps as needed and try to get more sleep at night. Work back into your pre-treatment schedule of activities by reintroducing them a little at a time.