Things to Consider During and After Chemotherapy Treatment
During chemotherapy treatment, the patient’s immune system may weaken, increasing the likelihood of infection. Precautions against infection should be taken during the treatment process. The following situations should be considered:
- Daily personal hygiene should be prioritized, and regular showers should be taken.
- Avoid crowded places.
- Daily body temperature should be measured. If the body temperature is 38 degrees or higher, the doctor should be informed.
- Care should be taken to avoid injuries. In case of any cuts or injuries, healthcare professionals should be consulted.
- No medication should be used without the doctor’s knowledge.
- The doctor should be informed of any side effects that may occur in the body.
How Should Chemotherapy Patients Eat?
Recommendations for daily nutrition during chemotherapy treatment are as follows:
- 2-3 liters (8-10 glasses) of water should be consumed daily.
- Whole wheat bread should be preferred instead of white bread.
- Fish should be consumed at least 2 days a week.
- Red meat should be consumed at least 2 days a week, and legumes (chickpeas, beans, red lentils, broad beans, etc.) should also be consumed for 2 days.
- Burnt surface meats should not be consumed.
- Processed meat products (sausage, salami, pastrami) should be avoided.
- If drinking milk is difficult, ayran or yogurt can be consumed instead. If discomfort is felt after consumption, lactose-free milk or yogurt should be preferred.
- Care should be taken to buy pasteurized dairy products like milk, yogurt, and cheese.
- Eggs should be consumed daily. If eggs cannot be eaten alone, options like menemen, omelet, and pancake should be tried.
- In your snacks, cakes with plenty of eggs, homemade cottage cheese cookies, cheese-filled pastries, or gözleme with cheese or minced meat can be good options.
- 3 portions of vegetables and 2 portions of fruits should be consumed daily.
- Fruits and vegetables should be bought from seasonal natural production and consumed fresh. Cleaning fruits and vegetables is very important. They should be washed with cleaning water mixed with chlorine tablets or vinegar.
- Homemade fruit juices should be preferred instead of ready-made fruit juices and boxed drinks.
- Grapefruit juice, pomegranate juice, grape juice, and black mulberry should not be consumed during treatment as they may alter the effects of medications.
- Foods sold openly should not be consumed.
- Spices should be consumed fresh and added during cooking.
- Opened packaged foods should be stored in the refrigerator.
During periods of intense nausea:
- Very fatty, spicy, salty, and heavily seasoned foods should not be consumed. Lighter, odorless, and dry foods should be preferred.
- Boiled potatoes, yellow or white chickpeas, crackers, etimek, cheese, pasta, and toast should be consumed.
- Peppermint lemon tea can be consumed.
If mouth sores develop:
- Soft, watery foods should be consumed. Solid foods should be softened with milk, yogurt, or sauces before eating.
- Meals should be consumed at room temperature.
- Nourishing soups (lentil, ezogelin, yayla, tarhana) should be consumed during periods of mouth sores.
- Foods that require a lot of chewing, like meat, should be ground or pureed before being added to soup.
If you have difficulty swallowing:
- Keep a bottle of water handy and take a sip every 1-2 minutes.
- Sour foods increase saliva production and should not be consumed in case of mouth sores.
- Rice pudding, yogurt, custard, cheese, noodles, vegetable and fruit purees, pasta, peeled apples, and bananas should be preferred. The consumption of acidic foods and drinks should be limited.
During times of diarrhea:
- Foods high in fiber (raw vegetables and fruits, nuts, whole grain bread), fatty foods, chocolate, spicy foods, and pickles should be avoided.
- Cheese, yogurt, eggs, rice pilaf made with little fat, noodles, boiled potatoes, pasta, bananas, peeled apples or peaches, and ayran should be preferred.
- 2-3 liters (8-10 glasses) of water should be consumed daily.
In case of constipation:
- Try to consume high-fiber and especially liquid foods.
- 8-10 glasses of water should be consumed daily.
- Whole grain products, raw or cooked vegetables, and fruits with seeds and skins should be preferred.
- Walk in sunlight for 10-15 minutes several times a week.
Foods to Avoid
The following situations should be considered by cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy:
- Sugar and sugary foods and drinks (cookies, cakes, cola, soda, jam, chocolate, and ready-made fruit juices),
- Mixed herbal teas,
- Alcoholic beverages and tobacco products,
- Tap water, open (doorstep) milk, yogurt, and cheeses,
- Raw eggs,
- Salt and salty foods (canned, pickled, etc.),
- Expired foods and drinks,
- Tail fat, internal fat, plain fat, and fatty foods (cream, mayonnaise, clotted cream),
- Fried and roasted foods,
- Meat cooked by grilling (kebabs, liver, etc.).
Is There a Need to Stay in the Hospital During Chemotherapy?
Chemotherapy programs may vary depending on the type and stage of the disease. Generally, it is applied every three weeks. Most of the time, treatments are given on an outpatient basis in the chemotherapy units of hospitals. Sometimes, patients may need to be hospitalized for treatment.
How Many Sessions of Chemotherapy Are Administered?
The number of chemotherapy sessions may vary depending on the type of chemotherapy. According to the protocol, multiple drugs may be administered together. The treatment duration can start from 3 months and last up to 2 years.
