Diet and cancer
Being diagnosed with cancer can affect many aspects of daily life, including appetite, eating habits, and nutritional needs. Diet plays an important role when you have cancer because good nutrition helps the body stay strong, cope with treatment, and support recovery.
Cancer and its treatments - such as surgery, chemotherapy, radiotherapy, or immunotherapy - can sometimes cause side effects that affect eating. These may include loss of appetite, nausea, changes in taste or smell, mouth soreness, or difficulty swallowing. Because of these challenges, it may become harder to eat enough food or maintain a healthy weight.
There is no single 'cancer diet' but eating the right diet can help provide you with the energy, protein, vitamins, and minerals your body needs to repair tissues, maintain muscle strength, and support your immune system. Good nutrition may also help you to tolerate treatment better, reduce the risk of infections, and improve your overall wellbeing and quality of life.
Every person with cancer has different nutritional needs. In some cases, you may need to adjust your diet depending on their symptoms, treatment plan, or nutritional status. For example, you may need foods that are higher in calories or protein to prevent weight loss rather than low calorie, healthy eating options.
You will find lots of trusted sources of information on this website to help you understand the importance of nutrition during cancer care and to support eating habits that contribute to strength, recovery, and quality of life.
If you are having real challenges with your diet or are losing weight unintentionally, it is important to seek advice from healthcare professionals such as doctors, nurses, or registered dietitians, who can provide personalised dietary guidance based on individual needs and treatment plans.
These are helpful links to dietary information from the World Cancer Research Fund: