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Effect of Radiation Therapy on Nutrition Radiation therapy can affect healthy cells in the treatment area.Radiation therapy is a cancer treatment that uses high energy x-rays or other types of radiation to kill cancer cells. There are two types of radiation therapy. External radiation therapy uses a machine outside the body to send radiation toward the cancer. Internal radiation therapy uses a radioactive substance sealed in needles, seeds, wires, or catheters that are placed directly into or near the cancer.Healthy cells that are near the cancer may be affected by the radiation treatments, and side effects may occur. The side effects depend mostly on the radiation dose and the part of the body that is treated.Nutrition-related side effects may occur during radiation therapy. Radiation therapy to any part of the digestive system is likely to cause nutrition -related side effects. The following side effects may occur: Radiation therapy to the head and neck may cause anorexia, taste changes, dry mouth, inflammation of the mouth and gums, swallowing problems, jaw spasms, cavities, or infection. Radiation therapy to the chest may cause infection in the esophagus, swallowing problems, esophageal reflux (a backwards flow of the stomach contents into the esophagus), nausea, or vomiting. Radiation therapy to the abdomen or pelvis may cause diarrhea, nausea and vomiting, inflammation of the intestine or rectum, and fistula (holes) in the stomach or intestines. Long-term effects can include narrowing of the intestine, chronic inflamed intestines, poor absorption, or blockage in the stomach or intestine. Radiation therapy may also cause tiredness, which can lead to a decrease in appetite and a reduced desire to eat.Good nutrition during treatment may differ among individuals. If your appetite is good and your weight is steady, try to eat a balanced, healthy diet: Fruits and Vegetables - Eat a variety of fruits and vegetables by focusing on different colors each week. Choose 7 to 9 servings, or greater than 4 cups, per day. Grains - Eat at least 6 servings of grain products per day with at least 3 of those servings being whole grain products. Examples include: ½ cup of oatmeal; ½ cup of brown rice; 1 slice of whole grain bread; and ½ cup of whole wheat pasta. Meat and Poultry - Choose moderate amounts of low fat meat, poultry and fish, about 6 ounces per day. Examples include: lean beef trimmed of fat, such as round, sirloin, flank, tenderloin, and ground beef which is 90% lean or greater; cuts of pork trimmed of all visible fat; and skinless chicken breast. Dairy - Choose moderate amounts of low fat dairy foods, about 3 serving per day. Examples include: 1 cup of low fat milk; 1 cup of low fat yogurt; 2 cups of low fat cottage cheese; and 1/3 cup of low fat shredded cheese (3 grams of fat or less per ounce). Cut back on fat, sugar, alcohol and salt. Fluids.You need 6 to 8 servings of non-caffeinated liquids per day. Each serving should be 8 ounces. Beverages that contain caffeine cannot be counted as part of your fluid intake. Foods that are liquid at room temperature, however, can be counted. Some examples are: ice cream, sherbet, gelatin, cream soups, and popsicles. Keep some type of fluid with you at all times so you can sip continually throughout the day. If you are not eating well, choose fluids that contain calories, such as fruit juices, milk, smoothies, sports drinks, and liquid supplements or meal replacements. Handy Snacks to Help with a Low Appetite Applesauce Bean Dip Butter Buttered popcorn Cereal Cheese Cheese Dip Chocolate milk Cookies Cottage cheese Crackers Frozen yogurt Fruit (fresh, dried, canned) Nuts Gelatin Granola Hot dogs Ice cream Instant breakfast Juice Milkshake Peanut Pizza Popsicles Pretzels Pudding Quesadilla Sandwich Smoothie Soup Trail mix Vegetables Yogurt Increase Calories When Needed Eating a healthy diet during treatment may be challenging. You may not feel hungry and foods may not taste right to you. Even small amounts of food may make you feel full. If you have trouble eating, choose high calorie and high protein foods as listed in the table below. Push yourself to eat even when you are not hungry. Try taking small, frequent meals and using liquid supplements, such as BoostTM, Carnation Instant Breakfast DrinkTM or EnsureTM to help add calories and protein daily. Foods That Help Increase Protein Dairy Melt cheese on sandwiches, breads, muffins, tortillas, hamburgers, hot dogs, meats, fish, vegetables, eggs, soups, casseroles, chili, mashed potatoes, rice, and pasta. Use milk (instead of water) while preparing hot cereals, soups, cocoa, and pudding. Add ice cream, frozen yogurt, or yogurt to carbonated beverages (ginger ale), shakes, cereals, fruit, gelatin, and pie. Sandwich between cookies, cake, and graham crackers. Eggs Add powdered milk or egg white powder to shakes, milk, casseroles, meatloaf, breads, muffins, sauces, soups, mashed potatoes, puddings, hot cereals, and scrambled eggs. Add extra egg whites to scrambled eggs, French toast batter, and casseroles. Nuts and Legumes Use nuts or seeds in casseroles, breads, muffins, pancakes, cookies, vegetables, ice cream, or as a simple snack. Spread peanut butter on sandwiches, toast, muffins, crackers, fruit, waffles, pancakes, and vegetables. Blend in to shake or ice cream. Source: http://www.cancer.gov, www.netwellness.org