One in four people will be diagnosed with cancer in the Western world. There are also millions of people living ‘with and beyond’ their cancer diagnosis as treatments for cancer have improved significantly in the past few decades.
Being diagnosed with cancer is the beginning of a physical and emotional rollercoaster for the person and their family and carers. There are many challenges along the way, and eating and drinking a good healthy diet is certainly one of them. We are constantly bombarded by the stories in the media relating to food and our health and it can be difficult to decide on the best advice to follow. Good nutrition underpins health and is essential to support the body during rigorous cancer treatment; but achieving the right balance, and maintaining it, can be a huge challenge.
Food impacts enormously on our daily life. Eating is a social occasion; it brings together family and friends and is essential to sustain life. But illness, particularly cancer, can profoundly affect our food intake. In a short period of time turmoil around food preparation and eating may occur – leaving the person with cancer and their carers struggling to keep the right balance.
It is not uncommon for people to lose weight prior to their diagnosis; in fact this may be one of the early symptoms that alert us to the fact that something is wrong. This may easily get overlooked as the process of diagnosis and treatment planning gets under way but it may remain a constant source of worry. People may question whether their diet has contributed to their cancer, be too afraid to eat or may just struggle because the cancer is affecting their appetite, taste and enjoyment of food.
The nature of cancer treatment may make eating even more difficult. A succession or combination of treatments – surgery, chemotherapy, radiotherapy and endocrine therapies – can influence appetite and food intake in many ways. Symptoms from cancer and treatment combine to create a hostile environment for eating well. Taste changes, poor appetite and nausea are just some examples of symptoms that people may experience, suddenly making an enjoyable daily activity something to be dreaded or avoided.
Working with people with cancer for many years has taught me that the best ideas come from those who are struggling and have found what works for them. In How to Eat Well When You Have Cancer those ideas have been brought together with the scientific evidence underpinning good nutrition. This book will help guide people during those difficult times, when thinking of what to eat is overwhelming. At a time when many aspects of life are out of control, it is important to be able to manage this vital part of everyday life. Practical advice to inspire and tempt people is invaluable, particularly when it is based on sound nutritional knowledge. This book also recognizes the emotional component of eating – of preparing food for another person, of nurturing them to withstand the rigours of cancer as a disease and its treatment.
Hopefully this book will provide invaluable support to both the person with cancer and their carer, to ensure that eating remains one of life’s great pleasures.
Dr Clare Shaw
Consultant Dietitian
The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust