How should I eat after being diagnosed with mesothelioma? Should I change my diet? Do I need supplements, and if so, which supplements? Is there any relationship between diet and survival in patients with mesothelioma?
In general terms, you need to eat more after your diagnosis, even if you feel like eating less. Fighting cancer takes a lot of energy, which means a lot of calories. You need foods rich in calories and protein.
See Proper Nutrition During Mesothelioma Cancer Recovery
This may be a change in your diet, depending on what your normal diet was. If you have been watching your weight and trying to keep down your cholesterol you may need to eat differently.
Try and eat small amounts or meals frequently throughout the day. Try and get your vitamins and nutrients from what you eat, which means eating from all the food groups. Protein is especially important because your body needs protein to repair itself. But there are important nutrients in fruits and vegetables.
Try anything that makes your food more palatable to you.
You may need dietary supplements, especially with certain types of chemotherapy. People taking pemetrexed (Alimta) need extra B vitamins. Your doctor should be giving these to you. One is folic acid, which you can take orally. The other is B-12, which must be given by injection. You can ask about what other vitamins you might need.
If you are having trouble eating enough or knowing what to eat, be sure and see a dietitian. A dietitian may have ideas about ways you can get more calories that you haven’t thought about.
People who are in good shape nutritionally tend to do better fighting cancer, and they feel better.